


Coming Together

by basingtei



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: AU, F/M, Kataang - Freeform, coming together
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-30
Updated: 2016-01-23
Packaged: 2018-02-11 02:35:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 20
Words: 69,681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2050149
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/basingtei/pseuds/basingtei
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where Aang defeated Fire Lord Ozai without ever meeting Katara. Now in his early twenties, he finds her and they become inseparable. But will it be enough to overcome extreme trial and tribulations?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: Hey! Here is another story from me that's fun for teens and adults alike. I don't think I will have any lemons for this but if I do, I'll just post the link on tumblr and change the rating of the story. Got some inspiration while doing research on cultural ceremonies and this little things started and spiraled way out of control. Doing it with the prompt for Kataang month September 2013, prompt # 1. Here you go, please remember to review! <3

This meeting was going to go on forever. The southern watertribe princess was sitting upright with perfect posture in her delicate silken navy robes. On the inside however, she wanted to be slouching with her head on her hand in boredom. These council meetings had the tendency to run on into the late afternoon due to the fact that many of the older men loved hearing themselves talk. While the earth kingdom representative droned on, Katara resisted the urge to drum her fingers across the table, slipping her eyes over all the other men in the room and stopping at a friend, who caught her glance. Their eyes locked and the Firelord rolled his eyes, giving a little smirk that spread across the room to her face. Neither her, nor Zuko could stand to hear this drabble much longer. As the man continued to talk consistently about what could be counted as a pet within the limits of Republic City, Firelord Zuko stood and interrupted him, much to everyone's relief.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but I believe we are all clear on the guidelines and restraints, Councilman Tao."

The man hesitated with his mouth agape, but decided to defy the Firelord another day.

"Yes, well, perhaps we can continue this tomorrow..." He said meekly.

With that, the head councilman took his gavel and woke everyone who was sleeping with a loud clang, announcing that meeting to be adjourned. As all the men got up, so did she, staying behind and stretching, relaxing with a soft sigh. Zuko came up to her and smiled, feeling slightly sheepish for how he had embarrassed the poor man.

"It was a kindness to everyone." She said, knowing exactly how he was feeling.

"You know me so well, Princess." He chuckled and she cringed.

"Stop that, you know I hate that." She ordered him.

"That's why I do it, your highness." He said with a small bow to her.

"I mean it. If you don't stop I will soak you where you stand, oh great Firelord." She threatened with a warning glare.

He held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, I'm done. I promise."

Her look softened and she started to walk towards the doors, motioning for him to follow. He did and walked by her side, stepping through the massive city hall building together.

"It's nice to see you again Zuko. It's been a few months since we've last met. What brings you out here? Certainly not these tiny, trivial meetings."

"No, I am actually meeting an old friend here. He's new to Republic City and needs to be shown around."

"Ah, some old geezer who'll lose his way?" She said with a smile that she tried to cover with her hand.

"No, but he is very important to the making of this city... I've told him all about you..."

Katara stopped walking and eyed him with a grimace. He looked back to her, curious as to why she stopped.

"Oh Spirits... not another one..." She said and crossed her arms.

"He's different from the other ones-"

"Zuko, no. No more blind dates! You are awful at finding decent guys for me to go out with. And for the last time, I don't need a man!"

"You have to at least meet him Katara. He's unlike anyone you've ever met."

"Why? Why do you keep doing this to me?" She asked both him and the spirits.

"Because I don't like seeing you alone."

"I have lots of friends. I have you, Toph, Suki, and even my brother when he's not busy."

"Yes but we aren't around all the time. We all have other duties to attend to, while you are solely a council member. You stay here all by yourself and it worries me."

"Zuko..." She said and came up to him. "I'm not lonely. I keep myself busy..." She lied through her teeth with a soft smile. He sighed and held out his arms to her. She stepped forward and they embraced. After a few moments he broke their encounter and held her by the shoulders.

"Please, just meet him. He wants to meet you so badly." He pleaded with her.

She looked into his eyes and couldn't help but crumble. She knew he was just doing what he thought was best for her, no matter how much it annoyed her.

"Fine. But I swear, this is the last one. No more after him." She said and he smiled, letting go of her shoulders as she walked passed him, getting back into step together as they exited city hall. The sunlight blinded them temporarily, letting their eyes adjust as they looked upon the grassy court yard before the city hall. After the squinting session was over, they walked down the stairs towards the open grassy area.

"So...when am I going to meet this mystery man?" She tried to ask nonchalantly, but the anxiety was clear in her voice.

"I actually asked him to meet me here. He should be here any moment. That's why I ended the meeting so quickly."

As he finished talking, a shadow appeared in the sky and started to head toward them.

"There he is, punctual as always."

Katara looked up to the sky as the dark figure grew closer. It was a massive form. The shadow grew larger and larger, coming to focus and landing with a roar on the grass before them. It was some giant white fluffy flying monster, with a young man riding atop its head. Zuko didn't seem surprised in the least at the beast. The man on the monster slipped off his head easily, landing softly on the grass. he walked toward Zuko who has taken off towards them without Katara's notice. She followed behind him, curious yet cautious. When the two finally came together, they embraced like old friends would.

"Zuko." The young man said.

"Aang. it's been much too long."

They ended their embrace and Zuko held his shoulders, looking him up and down.

"You're taller than me now."

The man just laughed and patted his arm. "I should be done growing, I promise."

They exchanged a laugh and Zuko let go of one of the man's shoulders, motioning to Katara behind him who stepped up to his side. "Katara, I'd like you to meet my friend, Avatar Aang."

Her ocean blue eyes met with his silver ones and she was frozen in time, taking him in. He was tall, slender yet very muscular, with a shaved head, clean face, and tattoos of blue arrows on his head and arms that completely captivated her. Before she could say anything, he was bowing to her with his hands in front of him.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Lady Katara."

" 'Lady' Katara?" She asked, taken aback.

"I'm sorry. I was told you don't like being called by your official title. I mean you no disrespect."

She was shocked and looked to Zuko, who had a smile on his face. She shook her head and bowed deeply, unbelieving that the Avatar was showing her such respect.

"Please, just 'Katara' is fine. I am happy to finally meet you, Avatar Aang."

He smiled and stood up straight, waiting for her to come out of her own bow before meeting her eyes again. "If I get to call you Katara, you may call me Aang. No title needed between friends. Right Zuko?" He said without taking his eyes off Katara, drinking in her beauty.

"Right." He said with a nod.

She looked from the Avatar to the Firelord and back, taking Zuko by the shoulder.

"Mind if I borrow him for a second?" She asked.

"By all means." He replied calmly, not taking his eyes off of her.

She dragged him away and punched Zuko in the arm once out of earshot.

"Ouch, what was that for?"

"The Avatar? Really?! You couldn't have given me more of a heads up before you introduce me to the most important man on this planet?"

"What? It wasn't that bad."

"I must look like a complete idiot to him! Did you see the way he was staring at me?"

"Yes I did, and I can tell you from experience that look was not one of judgment. He's very intrigued by you."

"What lies have you told him about me?" She asked incredulously.

"How about you go find out for yourself. You are being very discourteous to our guest." He smirked and walked back over to Aang's side, motioning for her to come forward with him. She did come over and Aang watched her every step, his eyes darting from her chocolate hair to her stunning silk robes that complimented her skin so beautifully it was almost heart breaking, to those eyes of sapphire again. He couldn't help but smile at her. To him, she was the most breathtaking woman he had ever seen, a factor that caught him by surprise as Zuko never mentioned what she had looked like. She walked up to him and gave another small bow.

"I apologize for my rudeness. Our Firelord friend has not told me much about you. I have only heard of your amazing journey and swift victory over Firelord Ozai. Things I'm sure you are forced to talk about all the time." She stood up straight and was caught in his gaze again. He was so incredibly charming, it made her feel off.

"It's alright. Zuko has told me much about you. But there are still questions I have. We could maybe have a nice conversation while Zuko shows me around. Will you accompany us?"

"Actually, I'm not available to be your guide tonight. I am leaving you in the care of Councilwoman Katara while I attend to some business of my own before tomorrow's big meeting."

If looks could kill, Zuko would be on the ground. She shot him a look of shock but then tried to recover, smiling nervously to the Avatar who looked pleased.

"Great! We'll have a chance to talk more." He responded enthusiastically. She blushed at his eagerness. She was certainly not expecting to meet the Avatar today, let alone, being alone with him all day and showing him around the huge city that had blossomed in the earth kingdom.

"Sounds like you're all set. I'll see you both tomorrow." She smiled and walked away, waving at them and leaving them in an awkward silence. She felt panicky and extremely nervous as his gaze came back over her. He seemed much too calm.

"What did he mean he would see us both tomorrow?"

"He didn't tell you? I'm kind of here to stay. And I'll be at the meeting tomorrow to purpose a few new... construction ideas." He trailed off, not wanting to give any spoilers.

"Oh. I was under the impression you were just visiting. If you are here to stay, where do you live?"

"That's kind of why the meeting tomorrow is so important..." He said and looked away from her.

She caught on. "You don't have a place to live? But you're the Avatar! How can you not have a place to stay?"

"Can we drop the subject? You'll understand tomorrow, I promise. I know it doesn't make since now, but it will. I would love for you to show me around this city and maybe to a nice Inn when the day is done." He pleaded with her, looking back into her eyes.  
She wanted to pry, being nosy like she was, but there was something about those steel grey eyes of his that made her insides melt completely. The silence between them was interrupted by her growling stomach, embarrassing her to no end. It was late afternoon, probably about 4pm. Too late for lunch and too early for dinner. Aang laughed at her and broke the tension.

"Are you hungry at all? I know a place not too far from here with a great variety of food." She asked softly.

"Sounds great. I'm a little hungry myself. Do you want to fly or walk?" He asked, as if that sentence was normal for him to ask.

"Fly? You mean..." She looked around him and at the fluffy monster. "On that thing?"

"Yeah. Come on, I'll introduce you!" He said taking her by the hand and pulling her over to the Bison. Her heart fluttered at their contact. He was acting like they had been friends for 5 years, not 5 minutes. But she wasn't going to argue with the Avatar. When they were up close to him, Aang put a hand on his massive head.

"Hey buddy, I want you to meet someone. This is Katara. Katara, this is my best friend, Appa." He smiled and looked to her, not letting go of her hand. She was a little scared being so close to something so big. The beast looked at her with a low growl and sniffed her... then finally licked her, taking her by surprise. She laughed and let go of Aang's hand, petting him on the nose.

"It's nice to meet you too, Appa. Aang, what is he?" She turned while petting him on the head, his fur softer than it looked.

"He is a sky bison. And my companion. We're living relics... we're both the last of our kind." He said with a sad smile. She felt sorrow for him and let the subject drop as another creature scurried off of the bison and onto Aang's shoulder. "Oh, and you can't forget Momo." He said with a happier smile. Katara leaned her hand forward and petted him.

"Nice to meet you too, Momo." He left as soon as he came with a chirp, flying off to Appa's saddle. Aang looked to Katara and offered his hand out to her.

"Let's fly. Just tell me where to go."

"I don't know... we can walk it's really not that far." The fear was evident in her voice.

"It's safe, trust me." He said, still holding out his hand to her. She reluctantly took it and he jumped on top of Appa's head with the help of some nicely timed airbending, Katara landing right next to him. She folded her legs to her side and let go of his hand, letting him take the reins.

"Appa, Yip yip."

And they took off, her letting out a little shriek of terror and grabbed his arm, for fear of falling off. He looked to her and laughed, not minding her sudden closeness.

"Even if you do fall, we'll catch you, don't worry."

"How comforting..." She trailed off and rolled her eyes as they soared on through the sky.

"Where to?"

Katara looked down and saw how high they were, getting another panic attack. She looked through the blocks of city near the city hall building and finally down it, about 10 city blocks away.

"Down there, the one with the green roof." She said and pointed to the little restaurant.

He took them down and landed the giant sky bison outside on the paved road. It gave everyone a scare and whispers were all you could hear as he slipped his arm out of her grip, sliding down the Bison's head and offering his hand to her. As she took it the onlookers whispers grew even louder, the main question they kept asking was why the two were together. She pretended not to hear them and got down with Aang's help, standing beside him as Appa took off again, not really liking being in a crowded area and off to find dinner for himself and Momo.

"This is the place. The food here is excellent. Fresh and delicious."

"I can't wait." He said and looked down at her with a soft smile, offering his arm to her. She took it and they headed into the little restaurant together, leaving much to talk about behind them in the street.

 


	2. Dinner and Departure

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Wow! You all love this one so much! Thanks for all the reviews everyone. I love you all, you have no idea how much those reviews mean to me! here is chapter two that was very much requested! hope you enjoy.
> 
> Disclaimer: Bryke owns it all.

The moment the two stepped through the door, the whole place seemed to stop what they were doing and stare at her and the Avatar. He seemed unphased, she thought to herself that this must be normal for him everywhere he went. She was absolutely not used to the attention and became shy, letting him lead them to a table that was far away from people. She let go of his arm as he pulled out the chair for her, giving him a small bow of respect as she sat down, then he sat across from her. Everyone was still staring and it was making her uncomfortable, as Aang could tell.

"They'll stop looking in a few seconds." He said softly, trying to encourage a conversation to bloom between them once more. She engaged him.

"How are you so calm?" She asked, her eyes darting around and giving little stare-offs to the few who still dared to look.

"I'm not. I just don't care about them right now. I'm not out to dinner with them, I'm here with you. So you're my focus." He said so simply, completely unashamed of how he sounded.

She blushed and met his eyes, silver crashing into ocean blue, and it was like the rest of the world didn't matter. She wondered if he had this effect on all women while he wondered how she was single, completely captivated by her beauty... how that blush along her dark skin made her look unreal, like she was a painting. She wasn't looking away from him this time, feeling a pull toward him she had never felt toward anyone before.

"I hear you go through this a lot." He said with a smirk.

"Go through what?" She asked, lost.

"Being set up with strange men on dates."

Buttermoths took flight in her stomach and her blush deepened. She blinked in disbelief. "Do you count this as a date?"

"I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know later." He said with another smug smirk. She wondered if he was this smooth and quirky at the same time all the time.

"You'll be surprised to know how many people we have in common."

"Really? Like who?" She asked, amused at the fact that anything could connect them.

"Zuko was my firebending master. Toph my earthbending master. Pakku was my waterbending master..." He trailed off, knowing her connection to all three.

"That's right. Pakku trained you shortly before he moved back down to the southern watertribe and then I became his new apprentice... it seems something you said made him change his life for the better..." She said softly.

"I didn't appreciate that the fighting side of waterbending was limited only to men. I found that sexist and unfair. Just as much as men were not taught to heal, something I still can't do."

"Well, I became a Master at 14, in both healing and waterbending." She smiled, proud of her accomplishment.

"I know. From what I hear, you are the best healer in the world, and the most powerful waterbender there is..." He said, looking her over curiously. She didn't take compliments well and she looked down at her menu. "I would love to see you bend sometime."

She blushed again and laughed nervously.

"It's nothing for you to see. You're the master of all four elements... what could my bending possibly look like to you?" She said shyly, folding her hands in front of her.

"Katara..." She looked up at his voice, loving the sound of her own name coming from his lips. "When someone bends, they are showing the world who they are, especially when they give it all they have. I want to see you bend because I want to see who you really are. Your spirit is shown through doing what you love doing. And from what I've been told about you, nothing makes you happier than waterbending..." She was dumbfounded that he would even be interested in her and giggled a little.  
"What other lies has Zuko told you about me?"

"It's not a lie. I can tell when people are lying." She said and folded his arms.

"Ah, so you know Toph's trick. Very clever..."

"It's not a trick. It's just another form of earthbending. For example, your heart rate hasn't slowed down since the moment you realized who Zuko was setting you up with."

Her heart dropped and she looked completely embarrassed, her heart only pounding faster. He laughed and leaned forward, putting his arms on the table.

"Please don't be embarrassed, if it makes you feel any better, my heart is racing every time I look at you." There it was again, a genuine statement that he should be ashamed of but wasn't.

She closed her eyes shut and shook her head a little, feeling childish. She opened her eyes again and looked to him.

"Okay, so tell me more about you, since you know so much about me. The person behind the title. Tell me about Aang."

"Like what? That's pretty vague."

As she was about to ask a waiter came up to them and asked what they would like. Katara piped up first, unable to take her eyes off of him again. "One order of arctic hen with a bowl of five flavor soup please, and he'll have the dumplings with rice."

He didn't acknowledge their waiter but smiled to her. "Ordering for me? That's not very traditional." He laughed. His smile was infectious.

"I know what most of the air acolytes eat here and that's what they say is the best."

"When Zuko left me in your care, you must take that literally."And with that he gave a nod to the waiter, who departed and left them to talk.

"Favorite color?"

"Right now it's blue." He said before he could stop himself. "You?"

"Silver." She answered automatically. They both blushed as they looked at each other's eyes. Aang thought to himself that this was most definitely a date.

"What about those tattoos? They must have a story." She pried, being nosy.

"It's the mark of an airbending master. The pattern follows the flow of chi through my body. The one from my head goes down my back and splits into two separate ones that run down my legs to the top of my feet."

"That must have hurt..." She said, showing a caring tone she hadn't for him before.

"I was fine. They gave me some special tea for the pain. These tattoos are very important to my culture. Any pain I did feel was worth it."

"How old were you?"

"Twelve."

"Wow... that's amazing. You beat me by two years.

"Well, the whole Avatar thing didn't hurt. I even invented a new airbending move. I'll show it to you sometime." He said with a smile, curious to know more about her. "What do you do for fun around here?"

"You mean when I'm not being forced to date people I don't know and not in meetings?" She said with a laugh and he smiled, chuckling a little. She thought about it and came up with a pathetic answer. "Honestly not much. I stay home mostly. Usually Toph and my brother are busy."

"That's probably why Zuko is so desperate to find someone for you. You have no idea how much he worries about you, Katara. It's probably half of what we talk about."

"I don't need him to worry. I can take care of myself. Wait, how long have these conversations about me been going on?"

"Oh, I'd say a few months..." He said and rubbed the back of his neck, feeling bad for ratting out his friend.

"Oh no... and to you of all people!" She said and motioned to him.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"I mean why would the Avatar care if a friend of a friend is having dating issues! I mean, come on! That's the last thing you need to worry about." She said and hung her head in embarrassment, letting her hands fall flat on the table. He slipped his hand on top of one of hers. She opened her eyes to look at their touching hands, feeling her own heart race again.

"I care because Zuko is very close to me. He is one of my very best friends, and you are one of his closest friends, Katara. Anyone that important to Zuko must be worth my time. I've been wanting to meet you for a while..." He gazed into her eyes and put his on her hand on her open one, holding both of her hands. She looked back at him, feeling buttermoths in her stomach again. She wondered how he was so charming and real at the same time. Before she could respond their food arrived and they broke hands, letting their plates be laid out before them. She let out a puff of air, blowing some stray strands of hair out of her face. They both looked happy about their dinners and dug in. It was a little while before one of them spoke again.

"These are some of the best dumplings I've ever had. They remind me of home."

"See? When someone is left in my care, I don't disappoint."

"No, you don't." He said softly, giving her a look that made clear the double meaning of his words.

She swallowed a piece of hen hard and smiled at him, a little nervous. She was usually so calm at these dates Zuko set up. She couldn't figure out if it was because she was out with the Avatar... or if it was just Aang being himself. Either way she couldn't help but feel very drawn to him. Everything about him was welcoming. He was so handsome, nice, playful... and she was actually enjoying herself. She put her chop sticks down and leaned forward.

"So... what exactly do you have in mind with this constriction project of yours?"

He shook his head with his mouth full, chewing and swallowing half a dumpling before speaking, minding his manners. "No more can be said until tomorrow. You'll have to wait just like everyone else. I'm sorry."

She pouted and it almost broke his heart, seeing a frown on such a beautiful face.

"Please, don't do that. It will be worth the wait I promise. Let's just talk about us while no one knows I'm in town. Who knows if we'll get a chance like this again."

The thought struck her and somehow it hurt, that fact that this may be the only time they have together. She was confused by the pain. She barely knew him, yet she was growing attached to him very quickly. "You're right... tell me three things that not everyone knows about you, but that you're willing to share."

He thought for a moment, getting another dumpling in and a few groupings of rice before answering. "Alright... I am a very good cook, I like to watch the stars when traveling on Appa, and... I never wanted to be the Avatar..." He said the last one very quietly, stuffing another dumpling into his mouth and washing it back with some tea.

She didn't know how to respond. She was floored. "How could you not want to be the most powerful person on the planet?"

He sighed and folded his hands in his lap. "Because it was a huge responsibility to put on just one person... I just wanted to be a simple kid like all my friends... but everything changed when they told me... everyone saw me as a different person, they didn't see Aang anymore."

She saw the sadness in his eyes and felt bad for even asking. "Aang, I'm so sorry. I won't bring it up again."

"No, I'm sorry. We're supposed to be having fun and I had to bring up something... displeasing." he said and took another swig of tea. She wrapped her hand around his this time.

"We're getting to know each other... everyone has pain. Some more than others..." She said softly and lovingly, gripping his hand. He smiled meekly and looked to her eyes again.

"Katara, you are everything Zuko described and more..." He smiled again and put his cup down, slipping the hand she didn't grasp into his robes and leaving 10 large gold pieces on the table, plenty to cover their meal and give a very generous tip. "Why don't you show me more of the city?" He said standing up, letting go of her hand and waiting for her. She nodded and stood up, taking his arm again as they left the little restaurant. Once outside he reached into his robes again, pulling out a little Appa shaped whistle and blowing into it. It was closer to 6pm now, the sky getting darker.

"What's that?" Katara asked, still hanging on his arm.

"A bison whistle." he said, putting back into his robes.

"Does it really work? I didn't hear a thing." She said with a small laugh. As soon as the words came out of her mouth the giant bison appeared with a roar, coming down and landing in front of them.

"That answer your question?" Aang replied with a laugh, leading her over to him.

"I can show you around without flying..."

"But it will be much faster and a much better view." He said and airbent himself onto the back of Appa's head, holding out a hand for her. "I'll go slower this time, I make you an Avatar promise."

"I bet you said the same thing to the last girl you dropped too." She said and took his hand anyway, letting her body be pulled up next to his.

"I have never dropped anyone! Especially not a girl." He said, a little offended.

"Probably because she was smart enough not to get on!" She poked him in the chest, expecting him to laugh.

"No, you're the first to ride on Appa..." He said, mildly embarrassed.

"Really? What about Toph?" She asked, unbelieving.

"She refused to go where she couldn't see..."

"No fangirls?"

"Appa is special to me. He's my companion, not my chafer. I don't let just anyone ride with me... besides, I don't exactly like fangirls. They're nice and all, but they just want to be with me because I'm the Avatar, not because of who I really am." He said and looked over to her, gauging her response. She was touched and felt privileged, wrapping her arm around his.

"Let's go then. I'll show you everything from the sky." She said with a big smile, hoping to make him happy too. She did and he loved the feel of her arm around his, taking the reins and saying the words that launched them into the sky. Katara's grip grew tighter around his arm, still out of fear, but laughed this time instead of shrieking, waiting for them to be up high enough before starting to point and name buildings and areas. He looked to her, and saw her mouth moving, but all he heard was the blood pounding in his ears from their close contact. After they circled the city for the fourth time, about an hour later, he interrupted her.

"Where do you live?" He asked, genuinely curious.

"Over there, at the edge of Yue Bay. The one with the blue roof. It's not too far from a great inn, just over there, the big one with a red and gold roof." She said and pointed accordingly. "In my opinion, that's where you should stay. It's not the most fancy, but you strike me as a low key and humble kind of guy."

He nodded and took her down to her home, landing just outside her blue wooden door.

"It's getting late. You should rest for the meeting tomorrow." He said and slipped off Appa, holding a hand out to her which she was quick to take, letting him help her down. She smiled and didn't let go of his hand as they walked the short walk from the road to her door. When they reached their destination she smiled up at him.

"How old are you Aang?"

"Technically, 120. But 20 if that creeps you out."

"Ah, that explains why you want to get rest so early in the evening."

"You should too, it's what a responsible leader of this city should do."

She laughed and shook her head. She wasn't exactly known to be the stay up late at night type either, but this was early even for her.

"I'll see you tomorrow..." He smiled and grabbed her shoulders, leaning down and giving her a very soft but sensual kiss on the lips. She eagerly returned his kiss, feeling how warm and gentle he was. His head was spinning, he couldn't believe he was actually kissing what seemed to be the girl of his dreams. And suddenly his lips were gone. She opened her eyes and he was already on top of Appa, ready to sail off into the night. She smiled, a little flustered, and turned the knob to go into her house, but the calling of his voice stopped her.

"Katara... thank you for a wonderful first date." He said with a grin and was off, flying to the inn where he would stay that night. Her heart quivered and she barely got into her house and the door closed properly before his words hit her correctly.

"Wait, what do you mean 'first'?" She asked out loud to her dark empty house.


	3. The Project

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next installment, hope you love it. I have decided that while this is going to stay fluffy for a while, it's ultimately going to end up mature rated, so teens, enjoy it while it lasts. And oh dear god... it might seem like the fluff will never end! Okay, I'll shut up now.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing... but if I could own something, it would be Bolin. For myself. Read on, read on.

A loud knocking was what woke Katara up the next morning. She tossed and turned, trying to wake up fully, tangling herself in the sheets as the knock came again, louder this time. She groaned and crawled out of bed, her feet smacking against the wooden floor as she made her way from her bedroom, down the hallway and finally to the front door. The knocking began again and she interrupted it by flinging the door open. The morning sunlight blinded her for a moment and she couldn't see who was at her door.

"Do you know what time it is?" She asked, annoyed as her eyes tried to adjust to the light, the outline of a tall man coming together. She held her hand up to block the sun and a face came into focus. A face she instantly recognized and felt awful for being rude.

"Sorry, I'm a morning person. I didn't know if you were one or not..." Aang said and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. He had been anxious to see her again, but not like this; with her hair around her in a wild but beautiful mane, and dressed in a silvery blue night gown edged with navy lace that was much too short to be seen in public, gripping her curves and not leaving much to the imagination... almost like liquid moonlight was painted onto her body. It took everything Aang had to look away from her, turning to the side.

 

"I just wanted to give you a ride to the council meeting, but I can see that you're not ready to go anywhere yet..." He said with a blush, using as much self control as he had to not look back at the scene that would forever be burned into his mind. Katara, who was half asleep, didn't realize what was wrong with this picture until she felt the cool morning breeze touch her exposed upper thighs. She made a little squeak and held her nightgown down, crossing her legs. She felt so embarrassed, but she also didn't want to slam the door in his face. She left the doorway and walked swiftly around the corner, shouting behind her.

"Please come in Aang. It won't take me long to get ready."

He did as she asked, walking through the door. "Are you sure? I can just leave right now if you want. I should have realized..."

"No. I'm sure! Just give me about five minutes and I'll be ready. Promise!" She called from the bedroom, panicking at the thought of letting him leave when she wanted to see him so badly, especially after last night.

He closed the door behind him and walked slowly through her living room. It was cozy, with a few pelts on the wall to remind her of home. There was a black picture frame on the wall with what looked like a pendant that drew his attention. He stepped up to it to get a better look and a pang of jealousy went through him. It wasn't just any pendant; it was an engagement necklace, as was the custom in either watertribe as he had learned through his travels. It was confusing to him why she would have one... and yet have her friends would set her up on dates. He thought about it a little more and realized that it was in a frame, so she wasn't wearing it regularly. Maybe it was a token of a lost love she kept as a memento for herself. That thought brought Aang more distress, the fact that she might still have feelings for another man somewhere out there in the world. He sighed and fiddled with the small vase in his hands that he had brought her, it holding a single flower. He had been holding it behind his back to surprise her, but she surprised him first. Aang continued to walk through the room, examining all of her wall hangings. There was a portrait of her standing next to a man, his arm around her shoulders. They looked very happy together, smiling as if from a joke they had just heard. The man was of watertribe decent, just like her. He wondered if this had been the man to make that necklace for her. He looked nice enough, fairly handsome, strong and tall. His hair was shaved on the sides and longer on top, pulled into a short wolf tail. He wondered if she had been very happy with him and what caused the end of that era.

He heard her come out of bedroom and turned to her, smiling as he always did every time he saw her. Her hair was combed out, partially pulled back into a bun with her signature twin hair loops coming from the front of her hairline and pinned into the bun.

She was dressed in similar robes as she had been the previous day, ocean blue today to match her eyes with a dark brown leather piece across her middle.

"Sorry. I'm ready now." She smiled and looked to his hands. "What's that?"

"Hmm? Oh. I brought this for you." He said handing her the skinny vase. She looked at the flower in awe. She had never seen a flower like this. It was so beautiful, white petals that curled on the ends outlined in black.

"Aang, it's so beautiful. What kind of flower is that?" She said and placed it on the little table in the middle of the room.

"It's a Panda Lily. Not very common in this area. Took me forever to find a vendor that had some." He said with a smile.

"How long have you been up?"

"Um... well... I didn't exactly go to sleep..." He said sheepishly. His head had been spinning too much and his heart just wouldn't stop racing. He hadn't been able to calm down from their amazing date and the kiss that ended it all.

"Oh Aang, that's not healthy." She said and took a step towards him, concerned.

"I'm fine, honestly. I'll take a nap after the meeting."

"Well thank you for the beautiful rare flower, it's very sweet." She said and kissed him on the cheek, making him grin from ear to ear. He looked around the room and as his eyes found the portrait his happiness was drained quickly.

"Can I ask you something, Katara?"

"Of course."

"Who is the man in that picture with you?"

"Hmm?" She said and followed his eyes to the right picture. "Oh, that's Sokka. Word is that he's going to take a place on the council when he's done dealing with everything back home. The rebuilding of the southern tribe is taking quite a while."

"So would you say that you two are close?" He asked, prying.

"Very close. I love him very much. I know I annoy him sometimes with my motherly ways, but we've always had each other's back. It's hard being up here while he's so far away..." She said with a sad smile and looked to him, seeing a look of discomfort come across his face. "Aang what's wrong?"

"Is he the one who made you that necklace over there?" He asked softly, feeling like his whole world was crumbling down.

"What? No! That would be disgusting. Aang, Sokka is my brother!"

"Oh. Then who made you that engagement necklace?"

"Pakku."

"What?" He said and gave her a shocked look. She laughed and walked over to the necklace, touching the frame.

"Pakku originally made this necklace for my gran gran. Kanna passed it down to my mother, Kya, who passed it down to me just before I lost her in a fire nation raid. I keep it as a memorial to my mother. I used to wear it all the time, but the ribbon started to fray and I was worried about it getting destroyed, so I framed it, that way I can look to it and think of her."

Aang felt relieved and happy that he didn't have any competition, but felt sorrow for her.

"I'm sorry for your loss. I hadn't realized the war had effected you so personally. I'm so sorry I wasn't able to stop it before that happened..."

"Aang, don't blame yourself. The war was not your fault..." She said and took his hand, trying to comfort him through the pain that was clearly written on his face. " Come on, someone insisted I get up at this early hour for a reason. Let's go." She said and pulled him towards the door.

He nodded and followed, walking through the door with her. Once outside she turned and closed the door, locking it behind them. He took her hand, never getting used to the feel of her soft skin against his, and led her to Appa who had been faithfully waiting for them. They climbed up and she wrapped her arm around his. This was becoming routine very quickly and he was okay with that. They took off toward city hall, taking their time getting there. It was on the other side of the city but they were surely going to be the first to arrive. As they came to the building, they landed on the roof, Appa laying down on his belly with a loud groan. The two slipped off his head and she stumbled a bit, Aang catching her and holding her close for a second as they laughed a little. When they parted, she looked to Appa.

"Will he be alright up here?"

"Katara, it's a beautiful spring day. I think he'll be fine. Besides, I kept him up most of the night with my rants so he'll probably be sleeping through the whole meeting."

"Rants? About what?"

"Don't you worry about that. Let's go down to the main hall." He said, walking toward the roof access door. She followed and dropped the subject. He seemed to like keeping things form her and that just made her all the more curious. Yet there was a pull there. Something that held her to him. Something that made him the center of her attention. She couldn't figure it out. He held the door for her and she started down the stairwell, taking a couple turned and then finally getting down to the main level, the hall opening up into a large room with the half circle of chairs at the head. Aang and Katara looked around and they were indeed alone.

"No one's here yet... I guess the other council members aren't morning people either." Aang said and chuckled, looking to her.

"Aang, It's seven. Our meeting isn't until nine, but people will start showing up around eight. So we've got an hour to ourselves, before people start to realize you're here and want to talk to you." A little flame of jealousy burned inside of her at the thought of his attention being elsewhere, not being able to be together. She wasn't sure where that was coming from... she had only known him for a day. Aang rolled his eyes at her words. It wasn't that he didn't like people. It was just always the same; he would be given respect of the highest order, people would fawn over him and make him feel a little uncomfortable. He was a pretty humble guy so the attention was hard. He understood his responsibility to the world and why so many people held him on a pedestal, it just never settled well with him completely.

"Come sit with me." He said and motioned to the other chairs where civilians would sit in on meetings. She smiled and followed. He pulled out a chair for her again, being such a gentleman, and then sat next to her, turning his chair towards her as she sat on the side of hers, facing him. Their eyes met and they both smiled. She could stare at his eyes all day.

"So, can you give me a little bit about what you will be asking of the council?"

"You are impatient." He smirked at her, sitting back in his chair.

"No I'm not. Just curious. You're a tease."

"I'm a tease? Who answered the door half naked?" He said, making them both blush.

"Yeah sorry about that...I don't get visitors often. And when I do they are either other girls or my brother. But you woke me up too early, I get confused when I'm tired." She tried to defend and he reached across the space between them, taking her hands. Both hearts fluttered as he held her hands in his tenderly, as if he were holding something precious. He was admiring the contrast of their skin tones while she was examining his arrows on the back of each hand. They sat there like that for a what seemed like an eternity before her eyes traveled from their hands up to his face. Buttermoths flew in her stomach when she realized he had been staring at her, but couldn't take her eyes off of him. There was a silent tension between them. You could almost hear the ropes of destiny tying them together. She could certainly feel it. Feel like something about him was so different in such a way that she would know him for a long time. He felt the pull as he stared into her eyes. Her never ending ocean blue eyes that he would happily drown in. The more he looked at her the harder it was for him to bite back the word vomit that was about to erupt.

"Can I tell you something?" He asked so softly it was almost a whisper.

She nodded.

"You are absolutely the most beautiful woman I have ever met and will ever hope to meet. And I'm not just saying that. I've been holding that in since the moment I saw you."

She blushed furiously, not used to such deep adoration from anyone, especially not someone like him. She tried to play off her awkward feeling with a joke.

"Did you feel this way before or after this morning?" She said with a small chuckle but he didn't smile. One hand came up to cup her cheek.

"Katara, I mean it. You are absolutely breathtaking. And I'm an Airbender. It's kind of hard to stop me breathing." He said with a little smirk. She smiled and leaned into his hand, loving his tender touch.

"Thank you for thinking so highly of me. I'd tell you likewise, but I'm sure you hear it all the time." She said and looked down, her heart racing. His hand cupped her chin so their eyes met again.

"I don't care what they think of me because they don't matter to me on a personal level. Not like you do. I'd like to know how you see me." He said and gave her a soft look, trying to coax it out of her. Now it was her turn to have word vomit. She tried to hold back but a lot more spilled out than she had planned.

"I think you are incredibly handsome, insanely charming, kind, sweet, a little daring, and a very genuine person." She said a little too quickly and he dropped his hand from her face, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Really? All that from just one day?"

"Yes. And I know this is going to sound completely ridiculous and selfish, but I am not looking forward to the after the meeting because I won't get to spend any more time with you. You'll be swamped by not just the council but also civilians. And I know they need your attention. You're the Avatar; you belong to everyone."

"It's not ridiculous. That's how I feel about you. I just want more time with you. To get to know you even better. I know it sounds bad that I want to just slack off my duties and just spend time with you, especially since we've known each other for such a short period of time."

"I know what you mean. I'm feeling that way too..." She said and her head felt light.

"I know it's going to be hard once everyone knows I'm here but I promise, I will make time for you. I'll find a way."

"I have no right to steal you away like that. I'm not your girlfriend or wife or anything... we're not together. We're just friends..." She said sadly and the grip on her hands tightened. Rather than being hurt by her words he smirked and looked into her eyes.

"You are a terrible liar." He said smoothly and she blushed, giving her skin that color he loved. Feeling how heavy their conversation had gotten, he tried to lighten it up.

"Back to questions, just like last night. Favorite fruit?"

"Strawberries. You?"

"Moon peaches."

They talked about likes and dislikes for an hour before someone entered the hall through the large wooden doors. He dropped her hands at the sound of someone approaching and turned to see who it was. He didn't have to wait long before a comment came across the room.

"Oh good Katara, you didn't leave this one frozen in the bay. I was a little worried about your fate Aang, I have to admit." Zuko said and walked over to them, resting a hand on his shoulder. She smiled at Zuko and Aang chuckled.

"I can't imagine our sweet Katara would ever do such a thing." Aang said, looking up to his friend.

"Don't let her fool you. If you get on her bad side, she'll snuff you out. Or at least drench you."

"Not if I can bend it back." He challenged her, making her raise an eyebrow curiously.

"That's true. I've never set her up with a waterbender before. Maybe I'll try that next time."

"I don't think you will have to set her up again." He said and stood, pushing his chair in. "She's perfectly capable of finding someone on her own." A wide smile spread across his face as he gave her a knowing look, making her smile and return his gaze. Their silent conversation put Zuko at ease. Aang faced Zuko and turned a little more serious. "There are a few things I'd like to talk to you about before the other members arrive, walk with me?"

"Of course." He replied and they walked to the far corner of the room, leaving Katara alone. She stood and made her way over to her chair on the council, sitting down and letting her heartbeat slow down. Something about Aang drove her heart completely wild and she knew he could tell, which made it all the more embarrassing. She felt like a teenager again, letting a crush settle into her heart and allowing her thoughts to completely revolve around someone she has known for less than twenty-four hours. She never got Aang back again before the meeting started. One by one the hall filled up with civilians and council members alike, Aang taking his seat in the front row just before the meeting began. He looked to her and his attention was caught, both locked in another gaze where silver crashed into sapphire. Nothing could seem to separate them, even the distance between them was an illusion. As the meeting began, his name was mentioned and most people looked to him, but his eyes were only on her. He was listening, but wouldn't want to miss a second of her beauty if he could help it. When it came time for him to come forth and speak, their long hold on each other's faces finally had to be broken. He stood before the council and a hush came over the entire room, of which was packed, standing room only.

"Respected leaders of Republic City... though the hundred year war has been over for a few years now, it has left scars in this world that may take centuries to heal. This new nation was made with the idea that benders and nonbenders of every nation could live in peace and security together as we grow together becoming one people. The people of the United Republic. However there is a missing piece to this puzzle. I am the only representative of the Air nomads, the only one who can teach people my culture and try and restore that fourth piece to this great nation. There are people dwelling in this city called Air Acolytes. They are not benders but have a deep respect for my culture and want to carry on the Air Nomad traditions. However, one cannot learn the ways of my people by living in the busy city. There needs to be a place within the United Republic for them to learn the ways of my people, to truly become Air Nomads."

"What exactly are you suggesting, Avatar Aang?" Asked Councilman Tao.

"There is large rocky island in Yue bay that is not currently being used for anything. I purpose that you allow me to take that island and build the only Air Temple to be in the United Republic. A place where myself and the Air Acolytes can study the ways of my people, grow our own food, live like I did so many years ago, and hopefully, someday, train airbending."

You could hear a pin drop. Not a word was said. The council members looked to each other and Katara was in awe. She loved the idea. Especially knowing how happy it would make him. Some council members were not keen on the idea however, but were not wanting to deny the Avatar anything. Tao was one of these people who did not like the idea of the air nation receiving such special treatment.

"Alright, we'll put it to a vote. All members for the air temple construction?" Tao asked, thinking many were on his side. He was surprised when five out of seven hands raised, one of theme Katara's. He frowned and counted the hands. Sighing, he looked to Aang and nodded.

"Looks like you are going to be one busy Avatar. Your proposal is approved."

Aang smiled and bowed deeply before them, folding his hands out before him.

"Thank you for this incredible opportunity for both me and my people."

With that, the head councilman hammered his gavel and adjourned the meeting. Katara almost jumped out of her seat, getting up very quickly and walking over to him. He looked to her with a smile and held out his arms for her, embracing like old friends.

She laughed a little and he let go, holding her by the shoulders.

"This is going to be so amazing! I can't wait for you to get started. I know you must be so happy right now." She said with a smile.

"I am happy. I'm ecstatic! I actually get to build an air temple. Thank you for your vote Katara, it means a lot to me." He was so caught up in his emotions that he leaned down and gave her a peck on the cheek, forgetting he was in public. Almost everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at the two. She blushed and looked around at everyone.

"Aang... everyone is staring..." She said, a little embarrassed but hear heart was pounding at the edges of her ribcage.

"I could care less right now. I don't care what people think. I'm just so happy I could burst!" He smiled and let go of her shoulders, Zuko coming up to them.

"Glad you two are getting along so well. Just try to keep it out of the public eye unless you want talk of you two spreading throughout the city."

Aang laughed a little and placed a hand on Zuko's shoulder. "Thank you for the advice on the best way to approach them. I think it really helped."

"Tao is right though, you have a lot of work ahead of you. Do you have an architect ready for the project?"

"I actually have the plans drawn up already. There is going to be the main temple, men and women's dormitories, a dining hall, a library, a greenhouse, airbending training area, a pavilion for meditation, caves for Appa to sleep in, and of course the part that I will live in."

"You were not going to take no for an answer, were you?" Zuko said and shook his head.

"Asking permission was merely a formality. It's not like they could stop me."

Katara laughed and folded her arms. "You mean you were going to do it anyway?"

"Yes. It's my duty to restore balance back to the world. This is the piece that the world is missing, whether people want to admit it or not."

At this point people were starting to come up to Aang and ask him questions about the construction project, coming between him and Katara. Quickly he was swamped with people asking him a thousand questions and Katara excused herself, feeling a little sad but she had known this was coming. She walked out the doors into the sunlight, starting to make her way home. It took her the better part of an hour to finally get home, but it wasn't like she wasn't used to walking. Though flying wasn't her favorite, it was much faster... and it was with him. No sooner had she gotten in the door did a knock come from the other side. She turned and opened the blue door and smiled. There he was.

"Well that was fast. I just got home."

"I know, I'm sorry. I barely got away from all of them just now."

"It's alright, I knew this would happen."

"No, I mean I'm sorry I didn't get to do this."

He took her face tenderly in his hands and leaned down, giving her the most loving kiss she had ever received. She didn't hesitate, feeling a flame light inside of her and kissed him back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. Their lips melted together and it was like time stood still. When he finally broke the kiss he slipped his hands down to her arms and held her gently, both of them blushing deeply.

"That's what I actually wanted to do earlier."

"Probably for the best you didn't do that while everyone was watching." She said, feeling like her heart was going to explode. He just smiled and took her hand in his.

"I know I am going to be very busy over the next coming months, but I promise to make time for you. We haven't had our second date yet."

She smiled and looked up to him, probably the happiest girl in the world.

"I look forward to it."

"I have to go but I hopefully I'll see you tomorrow." He leaned down and gave her another quick peck on the lips before walking away to Appa, waiting on the paved street. She watched him fly off and closed the door leaning against it breathlessly. She had what was probably the silliest grin on her face and she giggled a bit, letting her heart take flight completely. She looked around the room and saw the panda lily, a sweet memento of him and the time she spent with him so far. She took a book off of a book shelf that had empty pages and took the flower, pressing it in the pages so she would always remember this flower and that day that had come with it. The day she admitted to herself that she was entirely in love.


	4. Rumors

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So… I've never written anything this fluffy in my life and it's honestly as addictive as smut. This baby is writing itself. Here you go, remember to review! You are awesome. XOXO
> 
> Disclaimer: Bolin is still not mine, which means I don’t own anything else either. Bryke and Ryu are trolls.

It was almost a week before she saw him again. Six whole days of looking out her window and watching a tall white tower being built on the island out in Yue Bay. Six days of meetings, shopping, and household chores without him. She was feeling like a lost polar bear dog cub. They hadn't known each other long but the time that she had been with him had made her feel so whole... life seemed empty in comparison without him. She had just finished folding and putting away her laundry when a loud knock came rapping on her door, making her jump with a little squeak. She smiled and all but ran to the door, flinging it open in anticipation of seeing him. When she saw someone else at her door, however, she couldn't help but give a shocked look. It was someone she certainly wasn't expecting. They stared at each other and she just let her mouth hang open, waiting for him to say something.

"I knew you'd be surprised, but at least say hello!" The man said and put his hands on his hips.

"S-Sokka!" She said with a wide smile and flung herself at him, wrapping her arms around his neck. He laughed and wrapped his arms around her, picking her up and giving her a little spin. She laughed and he put her down in her doorway, letting her go.

"When did you get into town?" Katara asked, a little giddy to see him.

"We literally just got off the boat." He said with a smile.

"We?" She looked around and from behind her muscular brother came a familiar face in green robes. Her auburn hair was much longer than she had remembered it last and she wasn't wearing face paint, but it was a face she would recognize anywhere.

"Suki!"

At that, Suki passed Sokka and gave her friend a big hug, both of them letting out a giggle.

"I can't believe it. You're both here! Together!"

"Actually, I've been down at the south pole for the last year with Sokka..." She said and blushed.

"Wait a second..." Katara looked at her more closely and say a red ribbon around her neck with a jade pendant carved in the shape of a fan. She looked from the necklace, to Sokka and back to Suki.

"No way. You're engaged?!" Katara gasped.

"Yup. You're pretty much the last person to know about it. Sorry for not writing." He said with a shrug and looped his arm around Suki's shoulders.

"Well, come in. Make yourselves comfortable." She said and left the doorway, letting them follow her inside and close the door behind them.

"Would you like some tea? Or something to eat?" She asked, being the perfect hostess.

"Tea would be lovely, thank you." Suki responded, sitting on the little couch as Katara left to her tiny kitchen.

"I wouldn't mind some food!" Sokka called to her and sat on the couch, but then made a grunt as Suki hit him in the chest. "Or not."

It didn't take long before she was back with a little tray of tea and some cookies she had picked up from the market earlier that week.

"Dig in guys." She said and set the little tray on the table, grabbing her cup of tea and sitting in the chair adjacent to the couch. Sokka took a handful of cookies while Suki took only one.

"Mmm, these are so good! I need to take notes form you on where to buy stuff in this huge city." Suki smiled.

"Plan on staying a while?" Katara asked over her tea.

"Yes, for a very long time. We were going to go look for a house, but we really wanted to come see you first. Your house was closer anyways." She replied.

"Does that mean you'll take your place on the council?" Katara turned to Sokka.

"Yeah. The south pole is finally finished. You should see it. Doesn't even look like home anymore. It looks a lot like the north pole."

"But it's beautiful! If you saw it, you would understand why it took so long." Suki interjected.

"I'm just glad we had so many benders form our sister tribe come down to help. Otherwise it would have taken us so much longer." Sokka said.

"Maybe you can paint a picture for me." She teased and stuck out her tongue at him.

"Hey, my skills have gotten much better. Even my calligraphy is nearly flawless now." He defended while the girls shared a laugh. They enjoyed a comfortable silence for a few moments until Suki couldn't hold it in anymore.

"So... I've heard the biggest scandal about you!" She said and put her tea down on the tray., leaning toward Katara.

"Scandal? Like what? I don't do anything around here." She said and tried to remember if she had been naughty.

"Oh, something about you and a tall, handsome airbender that Zuko set you up with. Does that ring any bells?" She said and Katara nearly spit out her tea, letting it fall from her mouth back into her cup and giving her a wide-eyed look. Sokka stopped eating and look to Katara, suddenly interested in the conversation.

"Zuko is setting you up on date? Again? After I explicitly told him not to?" Sokka wiped his mouth, suddenly furious.

"Yes and you'll never guess who he set her up with!" Suki said with a sly smirk, Katara putting down her tea cup.

"How on earth did you, of all people, hear about this?" She asked, her heart fluttering.

"It's all everyone is talking about! On the docks, in the city, it even got on our ship! So is it true?"

"Is what true?" Sokka asked, looking from his fiancée to his sister.

"Are you really dating the Avatar?" Suki asked, a little too excited. Sokka, however, was not.

"Excuse me? You're what?!"

"It was one date! Just one! We had dinner. It was nice." She smiled and a little blush came across her face.

"That sleezeball! using his title like this. I bet he just goes through women, one after the next. I bet he has a whole troop of fangirls just waiting for him to catch a craving!" Sokka was infuriated. Zuko was his friend. How could he let his little sister be used like this?

"Sokka, stop. it's not like that."

"Then how is it?" Suki asked. "Because the way I hear it, he gets everything he wants from you."

Katara blushed furiously and shook her head.

"It's nothing like that! We had one date. One really good date. And then he picked me up the next morning to go to the council meeting, and then I saw him later that afternoon. That's literally all the time I've spent with him!"

"Aw, you sound disappointed." Suki said with a smirk.

"I am a little... he's been so busy working on that air temple out in Yue Bay what I haven't seen him in almost a week." She said and looked down, twitting her thumbs.

"Wow Katara, you've got it bad for this guy, huh?" Suki asked, prying.

She didn't say anything, just blushed deeper and looked away from both her brother and soon to be sister-in-law. Sokka did not find this amusing.

"Katara, has he touched you in anyway?"

"Oh spirits Sokka, knock it off! He's so sweet and kind and such a gentleman. He's not this womanizer you keep picturing. He's really humble."

"Yeah, or a good liar." Sokka said, unconvinced.

A soft knock on the door came and Katara got up to answer it, shooting her brother a look.

"You don't know what you're talking about. He wouldn't lie to me."

She opened the door and was both extremely happy and apprehensive to see him.

"Aang! You're here-"

She was interrupted by his lips on hers and she suddenly didn't care that her brother and Suki could see. She wrapped her arms around his neck and they just melted into each other. Sokka and Suki sat on the couch with open mouths, Suki holding him back from standing up to break them up. Aang broke the kiss and looked down to her with a smile.

"Katara I have missed you so much. You have no Idea." He said and just stared into her eyes, holding her close.

"I've missed you too. What happened to 'I'll make time for you'?" She asked.

"I know, I'm sorry. The build has been going so well I just didn't want to stop. But I had to. I couldn't stay away from you anymore. I have something for you." He said and let go of her, revealing a medium red box with a silver ribbon.

"What's this?" She asked taking the box.

"An apology." He said as she looked to him. "Open it."

She smiled and did so, untying the ribbon and lifting the lid. She saw twelve of the largest strawberries she had ever seen, but they were covered in something brown.

"What's all over them?"

"It's called chocolate. It's a sweet. I hope you accept my apology." He said and looked to her with sad eyes.

"Of course I do." She said and gave him a kiss on the cheek. "Come in." She said and left the doorway. He stepped into the house and closed the door behind him, looking over to the couch to two people, gaping at him.

"Oh, I didn't realize you had company. I'm sorry, should I leave?" He asked, though the thought of leaving her pained him.

"Yes." "No" Sokka and Suki answered at the same time, Suki glaring at him. Katara set the box down on the table and motioned to the people on the couch.

"Aang this is my brother Sokka, and his fiancée, Suki."

"Suki... Were you the leader of the Kyoshi Worriers?" Aang asked.

"Yes, I was. You remember me?"

"Of course I do. You helped me see what Kyoshi left behind, and made me realize what kind of legacy I must leave behind. Thank you." He said and gave her a bow, making her blush a little that someone like him was bowing to her. Sokka stood and walked up to him, eye to eye with him, looking him over.

"Hello Sokka, it's nice to meet you." He bowed again. "Katara has said very nice things about you."

"What are your intentions with my sister?" He asked rather bluntly.

"Sokka!" Katara said but he held up a hand to make her be quiet.

Aang felt pressured and embarrassed at such a personal question but tried to answer to the best of his ability.

"I really like Katara. I care for her deeply. I would never do anything to make her uncomfortable or pressure her in any way. I came to see her today because she's all I can think about, even when I'm trying to build something that this world hasn't seen in over one hundred years and that's important to the restoration of my people. I intend to stay with her as long as she wants me."

Katara took Aang's side, slipping her hand into his, a blush on her face form his genuine words.

"There, you got your answer. Are you happy?"

Sokka looked him over again and pointed a finger at his chest.

"I don't care if you are the Avatar... if you hurt her, I will personally hunt you down. Come on Suki. We've got to go house hunting." He said and left, leaving the door open doe Suki.

"Sorry about that... I'll have a talk with him. Bye." She said and gave Katara a hug, leaving and closing the door behind him. Aang sighed and shook his head.

"And I thought Firelord Ozai was scary." He said and looked to Katara.

"He's all talk. He's just looking out for me." She said and sat back in her chair, holding the box of chocolate covered strawberries. He smiled and looked at her apprehensive face.

"Just try one. They are delicious, trust me."

She took one and looked to him, then took a big bite. She was in heaven. It was the sweetest and best tasting thing she had ever had.

"Aang, on my… these are amazing!" She said taking another bite and closing her eyes.

"I knew you would love them."

She finished the one she had and put the box away. "I'll save the rest for later. They are so rich!"

"Good because I wanted to show you what we've done! Want to take a trip?"

"Sure." She said and got up. He held the door open for her and they stepped outside, seeing Appa waiting for them… and two onlookers; Sokka and Suki.

"Well, you two didn’t get far!" Katara called as she walked down the steps over to Appa.

"Katara, don’t touch it! It might eat you!" Sokka yelled as she stroked his head.

"His name is Appa, and he's not dangerous. He's Aang's companion, a sky bison."

Aang walked passed them and airbent himself onto Appa's head, holding his hand out for Katara. When she was situated, he looked to Suki and Sokka.

"Do… you need a ride?" Aang asked them

"No, we'll walk." Sokka said and took Suki's hand, of whom looked a little disappointed.

"Okay, nice to meet you both!" Aang called to them as they walked down the paved street.

"Don’t worry Aang, he'll come around."

"I hope so, I wouldn't be able to relax if he hated me the rest of my life."

Katara blushed and looked to him. "How long do you plan on us being together?"

"As long as you allow me the privilege." He said without hesitation, looking down into her eyes. They smiled at each other and he looked over to the island, saying the words that launched them into the air. Katara was quickly getting used to flying with him, still holding onto his arm as she wanted to be close to him. The flight was short. As they neared the island she saw not just the half finished tower, but a few other buildings pop up out of the trees. They landed in a grassy area near the edge of the island and they took it all in. Construction was going great. Aang slipped off Appa and held out his hand for her as he always did, helping her down.

"Aang, this place looks amazing! Can I have a tour?"

"Of course. Come on." He took her hand and they walked closer to the tower, the grass so lush and the trees flowering. He pointed to the tower first.

"This main tower is going to be the temple. I should have the outside done in another week."

"That's fast."

"It's much easier to construct stone structures when you can earthbend."

"True."  
He pointed to a little grouping of buildings to the left of the temple. "Over there we have what will be the male dormitory, the greenhouse is finished, and there in the back corner is where I live and behind that is a meditation pavilion. Then over this way…" He said pointing to the side of them. "We have the female dormitory, the dining hall." He pointed to the grassy area to the right of the temple. "And this will be the plaza and also a place for airbending training. On the side of the island I've already made a dozen caves for the sky bison to live. I know there are more out there, I just have to find them."

"Wow, you've got a lot of work ahead of you."

"Yes, but it will all be worth it once it's done. I've already restored all the air temples around the world to their former glory, this should be done in no time."

"Which temple are you from?"

"It's funny you ask, it’s the one closest to your home, the Southern Air Temple."

"Funny how things work like that…" She said and he took both of her hands smiling down at her.

"I'm so happy I can share this with you. When I build the dock, will you come visit?"

"I don’t own a boat."

"I'm actually going to ask that there be a ferry to the island when I'm done, just like there is for the memorial island they built in my honor. That way all Air Acolytes can come here without me having to go get them."

"I will visit. I promise."

He smiled and led her back to Appa.

"Ready to go home?" He asked.

"Are you coming with me?" She asked, hoping the answer was yes.

"No, I'm sorry. I have a lot of work to do, like you said." He looked down and was clearly sad about their departure.

"I'll go home tonight, but I want you to make that dock before tomorrow comes. I have a meeting tomorrow and I'll raise the ferry issue to the council. I'll make sure it happens."

"I'll start on it right after I take you home Katara." He said with a wide smile, hugging her and resting his head on hers. She smiled and wrapped her arms around him, standing there for a while, just listening to his heart beat.

"You know… there are some pretty nasty rumors about us flying around."

He loosened his grip on her and looked down at her.

"Like what?"

She blushed. Of course he hadn't heard them.

"That I'm something like your new squeeze toy…"

"Wow, that is a bad rumor… and far from the truth." He said with a blush looking away from her. "I've never been involved with someone before, no matter how hard some women tried. It just didn’t feel right…"

"Does… do we feel right?" She asked, and their gazes met, her heart beating fast.

"Nothing has ever felt more right…" Butterflies went through her stomach at his words.

"Come one, I'll take you home." He said and climbed up atop Appa's head and helped her up, taking off over the bay. The ride was silent, mostly because she was happy, content even. When they got to her house they fell into the usual routine of him getting off first to help her down and walked her to the door.

"We have still yet to have our second date." he said with a teasing smile.

"I know that. You've been too busy apparently." She said and gave his hand a squeeze.

"I'll have that dock finished before the sun sets tonight, Avatar Promise."

"You sure do like to make those."

"It just means I really, really mean what I say."

"Like how you said you would make time for me?" She teased.

"Please don’t start on that, you see that I've been busy for a good cause…"

She sighed and looked down. "I know I just missed you."

He took his hand and lifted her chin up so he could look into her eyes.

"You wouldn't believe how much I missed you too."

She smiled and held his hand tighter, looking to her door. "I should go…."

"I know…" she stared back at him and they both saw how reluctant she was to leave him. "I'll see you tomorrow, after the meeting."

Aang took her face in his hands and leaned down, kissing her like he had before, making her knees weak. It was over far quicker than she wanted it to be and she was no longer in his arms.

"Tomorrow then."

He walked down the steps and got back onto his companion, taking flight towards the island. She waved to him and went inside, looking at the box he had left her. She smiled, wondering if he was going to give her a gift every time they spent time together, and put the box in the cupboard, not wanting to eat them all tonight. She made a promise to only eat one when she really missed him… which might mean all of them disappearing in one night. She left the kitchen and went for a bath, then lay down for rest, setting her little clock to chime and wake her up.


	5. Realization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hope you guys are enjoying this fic as much as I am. A lot of you have speculations but trust me when I say this fic has a plot and is fluff heavy. I can do both. Just wait and see. Here is the next chapter, please as always review. It's literally the only thing keeping this thing going. I am addicted to your reviews and kind words. <3 This is for you.
> 
> Disclaimer: I own nothing.

Katara actually got to wake up to the soft chiming of her clock and not knocking the next morning. To say she was not a morning person was an understatement. She listened to it go off for four whole minutes before she got herself out of bed and crossed the room to turn it off. With a stretch and a yawn she cracked her back, padding out of her room and into the bathroom to get ready. She looked at herself in the mirror and grimaced. It was gonna be one of those days. A day where she spent an hour trying to get ready and in her eyes still ended up looking awful. Truth was, she was the kind of person who rolled out of bed beautiful, but she didn’t think so.

And so she began her seemingly impossible task. She combed out her wild hair, washed her face, put on just a dash of simple make-up, and fiddled with her hair, putting half of it up into a bun and letting the rest flow down her back. She went back to her bedroom and looked through her clothes. She wanted to look especially beautiful today to win over the council on her proposal; for there to be a public ferry between the city and the island where Aang lived now. The men on the council were old and some of them lonely. They would do anything to make a pretty girl happy. She felt bad for trying to seduce them into getting her way, but she didn't want to disappoint Aang. She pulled out a sky blue short sleeved dress robe with a white pattern on the bottom that looked like waves. It was one of her favorites. She changed from her night gown to her clothes for the day, tying around her middle a thick sapphire blue sash. She went to the bathroom and gave herself one last look in the mirror, satisfied, and headed toward the door, slipping on her black flat shoes as her boots didn’t really go with this outfit.

Locking her door she made her way to city hall, looking over at the island before it was out of sight. She wasn't sure at first what it was, but when she looked over to the island, she could see a light colored structure in the water, along with a pathway down the side of the rocky cliffs leading up to the temple. She smiled. He had kept his promise. Now it was her turn. She held herself a little higher and made her way to city hall. For the better part of an hour she walked silently through the city, making eye contact with those who were already staring at her, making her wonder if she had dressed a little inappropriately. As she had more and more little stare downs through the city, she started to feel anxiety set in, her heart racing. Then she could hear whispers. They started discretely but the closer to city hall she got the more noticeable they became. Paranoia started to run rampant in her mind. Something was wrong. Half way there and the whispers grew louder and some words were audible. Words like "Avatar", "Watertribe", "Acolyte". It was hard to hold her head high now, feeling like she wanted to crawl away into a cave and hide. Some women had the nerve to step out in her path and make Councilwoman Katara walk around them as they whispered amongst themselves. She looked behind her and it seemed as if the entire street was staring at her. Something was very wrong indeed.

When she finally made it to her destination, other council members had arrived and were in a seemingly deep conversation. That is, until they saw her walk through the doors and up to her seat. Suddenly the conversation between them dropped and she became aware of how many eyes were on her. She scanned the civilian seats and met eyes with her brother, who gave her a small wave. She smiled and nodded to him, happy he was here, knowing he might be the only person in the room not talking about her behind her back. She also saw Zuko who gave her a knowing and gentle smile. One that said everything would be okay. She looked down at her folded hands and sat perfectly straight, waiting for the meeting to begin. There were a few key talks today; curfews, legal drinking ages, and street maintenance. When Councilman Xin Li opened the floor, Katara took her cue and stood from her seat. She gave the men her most dazzling smile and they she had their full attention, her beauty absolutely undeniable.

"I believe I have something of a proposal."

"You have our attention, Princess Katara." He said respectively.

She took a moment to collect her thoughts and let out a breath she felt she had been holding in throughout the meeting.

"As you all know, Avatar Aang is working on a very important construction project for not only himself, but for the Air Nomad Nation to be rebuilt in this new, peaceful nation. We have many people in this city called Air Acolytes who have a deep respect for the Air Nomad culture and want to learn, preserve, and pass on its tradition and cultural heritage. To live as his people once did over a century ago."

"This talk seems very familiar." Councilman Tao interrupted. Katara paused to gave him a look and Xin Li broke the tension.

"Please, continue." Xin Li asked of her, ignoring Tao's rudeness. She took another breath and stood a little taller.

"Currently the only way to get to the island where the Acolytes are to live and learn from Avatar Aang is either by a private boat or by his sky bison. The first is impossible, as acolytes have tried to detach themselves from material things, and the latter is rather inconvenient. I am proposing that a public ferry be made from the edge of Yue Bay to the Air Temple Island, just as there is one for Avatar Aang Memorial Island as this would be beneficial to the people of this new growing part of our United Republic." She finished and stood in silence, the council members taking a moment to soak it in. Tao, of course, was not moved by her words.

"Well, of course he would send you to ask this of us." Tao said, venom clear in his words.

"I'm sorry, what is that supposed to mean?" She asked, trying to be calm.

"Just that you would do anything he asks of you, or so I've heard." Tao spat back at her. Whispers from the civilians began and she felt uneasy, hearing the room murmur about her. She held her head high and defended herself.

"I am requesting this on behalf of a nation that, may I remind you, has been lost due to a terrible war that lasted one hundred years. Clearly you are under the impression that I am a messenger, but let me assure you, I have this nation's best interests at heart."

"Enough of this. Tao, refrain from repeating such slander. It has nothing to do with this meeting." Xin Li reproved, making the room go quiet. The council members looked to each other and Xin Li spoke once more.

"All in favor of this new public ferry?" He asked. Everyone but Tao raised their hand. Xin Li hammered his gavel and smiled to Katara.

"Request approved. Thank you, Princess." He said, about to adjourn the meeting.

"There is one more thing I would like to announce."

"Yes?" He asked, his curiosity piqued.

"As you surely know by now, my brother Sokka is finished with the rebuilding of the southern tribe and will take his place on the council tomorrow. I regret to inform you that I am resigning my post effective tomorrow so that he may take my place."

There was a murmuring amongst the crowd and the council once more. An older man representing the northern tribe spoke up.

"I don’t understand, why are you leaving?" Qilak asked.

"Several reasons. Firstly, there is no need for two representatives of the southern tribe on the council. I am sure you and Sokka will represent our nation brilliantly, Qilak. Second, if I were to stay, that would make our council eight, an even number. Not ideal when voting is involved. I have my own personal reasons as well."

"Oh, I'm sure you do." Tao muttered but Katara heard him clear as day. She shot him a glance but Xin Li spoke before she could retort.

"We are sorry to see you go. Thank you for your service to this new nation. You will be missed, Princess."

She bowed softly, Xin Li waiting for a moment before sounding his gavel.

"I call this meeting to be adjourned." He said and got up, many people standing as the sound of scratching chairs against the floor filled the hall. She stood slowly and made her way to her brother, who welcomed her with a hug. She smiled and enjoyed his embrace, breaking their contact as Zuko came up to them.

"What an interesting meeting." Zuko commented quietly, smirking at Katara.

"Yeah, I wish you would have told me. Or at least talked about it with me. I was really looking forward to us being on this council together, all three of us. Now it's just me." Sokka said and looked from his sister to Zuko.

"My nation needs me. I was only here temporarily. Everyone knew that. I'm looking forward to going home." Zuko said.

"When do you leave?" She asked, looking around at the people still in the hall, all talking but seeming to be glancing her way still. Zuko looked around and noticed the attention she was gaining.

"Tomorrow." He said without looking at her, having stare downs with people whispering and leering her way.

"I'll miss you." She said and came forward, embracing him tighter than she had her brother. He held her for a few moments before letting go, holding her shoulders gently.

"And I you. But now that you are a woman free of responsibilities, you can come visit anytime you want. You are always welcome in my home." He said with a smile, meeting her eyes. She returned his smile and he dropped his arms, glancing around the room.

"This has been happening to me all day…" She said softly.

"What, the staring and whispering thing?" Sokka asked.

"Yes and it's driving me crazy. Do you know what's going on?" She asked anxiously, happy that people were starting to finally filter out of the hall.

The two men exchanged a look, Zuko giving a grimace and Sokka shrugging uncomfortably. After a few more looks between them and her, Zuko sighed and looked her in the eyes.

"You don't want to know…" He said to her, looking away from her.

"Yes I do." She said firmly.

"Katara, it's really for the best that you don’t know." Sokka said and looked down.

She stared at the both of them and folded her arms.

"I literally can't walk through town without people staring at me. Is it my clothes? Does my hair look that bad?" She said, prying. Trying to figure this whole thing out.

"No, it's nothing like that." Zuko said.

"Then what is it?"

Sokka sighed and tried to put things as delicately as Sokka could.

"It's about you… and the Avatar … and the Acolytes…" He said, not really wanting to have this conversation.

"I don’t understand. What do the Acolytes have to do with Aang and I?"

"Some, not all… mostly just a few women Acolytes, feel that…" Zuko started and she just looked at him. He gulped, knowing she would not be happy, but continued. "…They feel that he, being the last Air Nomad should be picking his… companion... from the people choosing to live their lives like him and not someone of watertribe decent." He said very slowly, carefully.

She was offended, enraged, and embarrassed all at the same time. She looked around and hardly anyone was left. They were lucky. She would have given them a look to make them feel ashamed for days. But she was embarrassed too. Was she Aang's counterpart, girlfriend, lover, future wife, etcetera? She hadn't given thought to labels. She had such strong feelings for him, but she questioned whether she needed more time to come to terms with the nature of her relationship with him. They had known each other for less than two weeks. Her heart had already decided she was in love with him, but her head was trying to hold her back. To give her time to think this through. She sighed, trying to figure things out. The guys were waiting for her to say something in anger.

"But don’t worry. I think you just won major points with the Acolytes with your proposal today. " Sokka said, trying to ease her discomfort.

She was silent and hugged herself, rubbing her arms as a nervous habit, trying to feel… less confused. Zuko put a hand on her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry Katara. I feel that this mess is all my fault. I never intended for this to happen."

"Yes, it is your fault. I told you to stop setting her up with people and now look at where she is!" Sokka said, pointing a finger accusingly. "You threw her right into the arms of the Avatar, of course she was going to fall for him. Most of the women in the world want to be with him." He ranted angrily.

"Excuse you. That's not why I lo-like him. It's nice to know you think I am that shallow Sokka." She said, a little hurt and not ready to say the L word about Aang out loud yet. Both of them her caught her hesitation on a certain word and Sokka crossed his arms, Zuko putting his hands back at his sides.

"That's not what I meant." Sokka tried to say convincingly.

"How am I supposed to take that then? That I'm not shallow and being tricked into this relationship somehow?"

"No. Stop. I just meant that he's got a lot of appeal and you're not exactly immune to that. I've seen guys like him before. Charming, nice, always saying the right thing… but they always turn out to be slimeballs in the end." He said and shrugged. Before Katara could defend Aang, she was cut off.

"Do you honestly think I would introduce her to someone like that? I thought we were better friends than that Sokka." Zuko interjected, now taking this personally, his judgment being called into question.

"Stop this. Right now! I don’t have to stand here and listen to this. You!" She pointed to Zuko, furious.

"You are NOT in control of my life. You are my friend but I will make my own choices in my own life. You don’t have to feel like it's your responsibility to take care of me. And YOU!" She yelled pointing at Sokka.

"You have absolutely no idea what kind of person he is. You've met him for a total of five minutes and have judged him. And let me tell you; you are wrong. You can't see the person he is. He's genuine and real. His kindness comes from pain that I can't even imagine going through. His generosity from the fact that he is responsible for this whole world. So until you literally have the whole world on your shoulders, you are not allowed to call anyone names!" She finished and stormed off, down the center of city hall and out the large doors, leaving them in silence.

She marched halfway home in a furious typhoon before slowing down finally, calming herself with breathing she learned in her waterbending training, eventually stopping in front of a quaint shop. She closed her eyes and felt a deep sorrow grip her from the inside and she hung her head, feeling so conflicted and ashamed and confused. When she was with Aang everything felt right and perfect. When she was away from him, she was torn between feeling hollow without him and terrified that he made her feel this way so soon. She shouldn't have yelled at them, she knew that they loved her and just wanted what was best for her. But she was a grown woman and needed to find her own path. But where did that path go and why was this so confusing? She leaned against the wall of the shop, hugging herself again and rubbing her arms. She wondered, was it okay to love him? Why did it have to be hard? When he was around everything was so easy. She could stare into his eyes and see forever. His hands were gentle and caring. When he held her close to him, she wanted to melt into his body. And his kiss was intoxicating. So why fright it, she wondered. Just let it happen. She sighed and hunched down lower, feeling like she was being pulled in every direction.

"Come inside dear, it's going to rain soon." A voice said behind her. She turned and looked and the old lady that ran the shop was holding the door open for her. She put herself together quickly and gave her a soft smile.

"I'm a waterbender, rain isn't exactly an issue for me." She said flatly, aware that she was being baited into the old woman's shop.

"Then take a look around before you go home. I haven’t had a customer all day. Looking won’t hurt…" She said and left the doorway. Katara shook her head and appeased the old woman, walking inside. She was instantly blushing. There was a lot, like half a store full of frilly, lacy things. Something told her this was not the shop for her, but continued to walked through, looking in curiosity at some of the merchandise. She didn’t even know how to wear half of this stuff. Some things didn’t seem to cover much at all. She made her way to the front of the store and was relieved to find just books and some candies, of which she now knew the brown ones were chocolate, along with a selection of rare, exotic flowers. She looked at the flowers and gasped. There, in the corner, was an entire bouquet of panda lilies.

"Ah, I see you favor the rare panda lily. I get very few buyers. Not many people know what they mean." The old woman said to her, smiling. Katara's interest was piqued.

"What do they mean?"

"When someone gives a panda lily, they are declaring their love for that person. And not just any love, this is only for true love. Love that lasts forever."

Katara blushed and her heart was beating so fast she thought she might die right there in the shop.

"I'm sorry, I must go. Thank you!" She said with a quick bow and ran out of the shop, running the rest of the way home in a panic.

When she got home she locked the door and tried to catch her breath but couldn’t settle down. She threw her keys on the little table and went to the bookshelf, snatching up the book with blank pages and opened up to the flower. The panda lily. It was right there. The same flower. He had told her that he had loved her and she hadn't even known it. All this time she was fighting an uphill battle when clearly she was the only one trying to resist. As the book lay open on the floor before her she started to laugh and cry at the same time. Her hands resting on the wooden floor, she came to her knees and just let it out. All her turmoil. All her frustrations. Everything in her that told her she and Aang were not allowed to love each other. Hot tears streamed down her face and onto the floor, staining the pages with the little color of make-up she had on. she let out soft sobs as she tried to calm herself, wiping her face with the inside of her sleeve.

She heard the rain start to pour outside and heard what she thought was thunder rolling. She sighed softly and calmed down, picking up the book and putting it back on the shelf as a soft knock came to the door. She sniffed and unlocked the door, expecting Sokka and Zuko to be at her door. But it wasn't. She opened the door and there he was. The only person she actually wanted to see.

"Katara, what's wrong?" Aang asked, bending the sheets of rain above himself to keep himself dry while Appa flew away into the distance. She grabbed him by the arms and pulled him inside, closing the door behind them, pushing him against the door and burying her face into his chest.

"Aang… you are exactly what I need right now…" She said and he instantly held her close, his lips giving her hair a soft kiss.

"Shhh, it'll all be okay." He said softly, unsure of what was wrong, but he didn’t care. He knew something was wrong and that's why he came over. He could feel it. And he needed to be there for her. He would always be there for her.

 


	6. Progress

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Yeah I totally trolled you guys last time. I am so sorry about that. Here is basically part two but I am going to call it a different chapter. Again, I am sorry. At least this one didn’t take me long to post. Please remember to review! If I don’t get a love note it makes me sad. T-T. Okay, back to where we left off! Disclaimer: Not mine. Copyright Bryke.

Aang held her close and she could feel herself wanting to start sobbing again.

"Please tell me what's wrong."

Her breath hitched in her throat as she pulled away from him, stifling a sob and looking him in the eyes. For a moment she just took him in. The sight of him, his arms around her, pinned against her front door with a look of concern on his face that made her want to confess everything. His eyes were that beautiful silver she loved so much and saw right through her, deep into her soul. Her grip on his robes tightened.

"Aang… what are we?" She asked softly. He was quiet but calm, trying to figure out the meaning behind such a simple question.

"Human? I'm sorry, I don’t understand." He said with a look of discomfort on his face.

"No. I mean us. You and I. Am I your companion? Are you my boyfriend? Are we lovers?"

"Why are you asking this?"

"I need to know where we stand."

"Well, we're together. That part's pretty obvious. At least… it was to me." He said softly and she pushed away from him, holding her head in her hands.

"It is to me too, but how is my question." She said, frustrated.

"Do we have to label it? Is that important to you?"

"Is is unimportant to you?"

He sighed and walked over to her, putting his hands on her shoulders.

"Labeling is black and white. It doesn’t give room for things to go from one thing to another seamlessly. I just feel that labeling what we have is hard because we don’t really fit into any of the categories you've listed. Yes, we are together. We're friends… but not at the same time. I want to be with you… but being called your boyfriend seems a little immature for us. We're not really lovers because, well, we've never…" He cut himself off, blushing at where that sentence was going. She didn't seem amused.

"Katara, I don’t know what I have done to make you so upset. Whatever I did, I am so sorry. I don’t know where all of this is coming from."

"It's the flower." She said quietly and looked him in the eyes.

"Flower? The one I gave you over a week ago? Why is that bringing all of this up now? Did you not like it? I can buy you something else if you want…" He said, a little hurt.

"No Aang… It's what the flower means…"

It was dead silent. He didn’t know what to say. He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck and she just stared him down. He looked away from her and fiddled with his robes. The tension was so thick. He looked at his shoes when he spoke.

"I didn’t know you would find out… I'm sorry. I didn’t meant to-…. If you don't…" He gulped and felt like he was being destroyed from the inside out. "I didn’t-… If you don't feel the same way…" He couldn't finished his sentence. She could almost hear his heart breaking and shook her head furiously.

"No! It's not like that!" She said and took his face in her hands, his eyes meeting hers. She could see that his were filled with tears and she couldn’t take it. "Aang… it's the opposite… I love that flower because of what it means… what it means for us…" She said, still afraid to say it. He smiled and pressed her hand to his face.

"Katara… When I look at you… You make me feel like I've been waiting my whole life just to meet you. I've mastered all four elements, brought balance to the world, connected with my past lives, yet I've felt incomplete and I never knew why. But the day I met you… that first night when we were out together, I knew why. After I brought you home, I felt sad. Like I wanted to stay here with you and never leave your side again. I kept Appa up all night talking about you to him, just ranting on and on about how amazing you are and how much I wanted to be with you. You make my life feel complete and I can’t hide it. I don't care that we've known each other for the little time we have. I feel like I've known you my entire life and I was just waiting to find you again…"

"Aang…" Katara whispered, speechless. She had never had anything that romantic and genuine said to her in her life and she was unable to think of a response. Everything he said, she felt too. She felt like she needed him. In ways she had never needed anyone before. Like she had been standing on one leg her whole life and now he was there to help carry her home. She wrapped her arms around his neck and held herself close to him while one of his hands came up from her shoulders to cup her face, commanding her full attention.

"Katara… I love you." He said tenderly, his heart feeling like it was going to explode. He was in disbelief that he actually said it. He didn't avoid the subject, he just came out and said it. Instantly her lips were coming up to meet his in a long searing kiss, making both of their lips tingle. She pulled back and looked into his eyes.

"I love you too." She said with a smile, feeling light headed. Aang smiled the biggest smile she had ever seen and he wrapped his arms around her waist, picking her up and spinning her around a little before kissing her through smiles and her giggle. He gave her many pecks on the lips and then on the cheeks and then the nose until she was laughing, pushing him away.

"Stop it, you’re rubbing all my makeup off."

"I don’t care! You love me and I love you and everything is okay!" He said and picked her up again, just holding her in midair. She laughed and wrapped her arms around his head, holding him to her chest. He felt her heart beating fast through her robes and flesh and it matched his. After a while he put her back down and just held her to him, resting his head on hers. Then he got to thinking.

"Why would you be upset about this?" He asked into her hair, petting her soft mane with one hand.

"I was upset about a lot of things… I've been fighting my feelings for you… Sokka said some pretty nasty things about you so I had to defend you… and to top it off, it seems some of the Air Acolyte women are not happy about, well, us."

"What?" He asked, shocked.

"Apparently… they feel you should choose one of them to be with and not someone of my… background." That made him pull away from her, looking down to her.

"That's one of the most ridiculous things I've ever heard. I can't help who I fall in love with. And what's wrong with you? You're perfect." Butterflies went though both of their stomachs at the words he spoke, but they ignored their bliss momentarily.

"I'm a waterbender. I eat meat. I haven't devoted my life to learning about your culture and living like you live…" She said sadly.

"Katara, I wouldn't ask you to give up everything that makes you who you are. I love that you are different from me…"

"But it makes since and that's what hurts the most."

"What do you mean 'it makes since'? You agree? But you just said-"

"No, I don’t agree! But I see their point, don't you?"

"No."

She sighed frustrated again.

"Aang, think about it. If we love each other, and plan on being together, where is that road going to lead eventually?"

He became very quiet and blushed, getting worked up over where this conversation had led. After a while of not saying anything she broke the silence.

"What if… because I'm a waterbender… I can't give you more airbenders?" She asked quietly.

He gulped and was a little embarrassed.

"We just got to the point where we can say 'I love you', and now we're talking about children? You completely skipped our own journey together, marriage, living together, and we haven't even had our second date yet." He said, a little overwhelmed.

"I'm sorry, I'm not trying to scare you. It's just… I don’t want to disappoint you… I don’t want you to make the wrong choice." She said looked away from him, never feeling so exposed in her life.

"Why is it my choice that matters? What about you? Are you okay choosing me? I belong to the whole world. I have to be ready to go anywhere I am needed with little to no notice beforehand. My duty is not just bringing peace, but keeping it. Are you willing to throw everything away that you have just to be with me?" He asked her, hoping she would say yes because he didn’t want to be without her, but also no because that kind of life isn't fair to her.

"Yes…" She said and looked back into his eyes. He was happy but concerned.

"What about the city? It needs you."

Katara shook her head and smiled softly.

"I'm not a council member anymore. The ferry proposal was my last act. They accepted and then I resigned."

"Just like that? Why?"

"I have a lot of reasons…" She said and he looked at her expectantly. She rolled her eyes and continued.

"Look… those few days where you didn’t visit me, I did a lot of thinking. Mostly about us and where we were going." She said, fiddling with the front of his robes. "And I realized that being with you was going to mean being at your side on every journey you go. So, yeah. I'm no longer Councilwoman Katara. Just… Katara."

"Still Princess Katara though." He said with a smile and she gave him a death glare.

"Ouch okay, just Katara." His smile faded.

"Never call me that again, Master Arrowhead."

He smiled again and he pressed his forehead to hers, closing his eyes and just holding her face in his hands, touching his nose to hers. She closed her eyes and just stayed there, letting their hearts beat slower and wrapping her arms around his neck again.

They stayed that way, just standing in her living room and breathing in each other's scent when a knock came at the door. Katara sighed and tried to pulled away from Aang but he stopped her.

"Pretend to not be home." He asked her with a smile, giving her lips a soft kiss that made her knees quiver. She eventually broke free of his kiss, unwrapping her arms.

"It might be important." She said walking around him to open the door. He turned to see who was visiting her as she opened the door, seeing two familiar faces push past her, drenched.

"Could you come to the door any slow-" He stopped mid sentence, seeing Aang standing there.

Sokka turned to her with a very displeased look as Zuko came to his side. Katara shut the door as thunder rolled, the only sound was water dripping from their outer robes.

"What is he doing here?" Sokka asked rather rudely.

"Yes, please Sokka, come in." She said and folded her arms, glaring at him.

"Sorry for barging in, It's really coming down out there." Zuko tried to ease the tension in the room. Katara turned to Zuko and gave him a friendly smile.

"Let me help you." She said and opened the door, turning back to Zuko and with a simple flick of her wrists pulled the water out of his hair and clothing, bending the stream of water out into the rain.

"Hey, what about me?" Sokka said, water dripping off his wolf tail.

"What about you? Dry yourself off." She said and crossed her arms.

Aang, feeling the tension rise between the siblings, offered his services.

"Here, let me." He said softly and bent the water out of his clothes and hair, streaming it out the door just as Katara had done. She kicked the door closed and looked at the three men in her life, unsure of what to say. She knew she had to apologize but Sokka's attitude towards Aang was not appreciated. Zuko spoke first.

"Katara, I wanted to say goodbye properly before I left. I didn't want to leave things how we did at City Hall…" He said and looked to Sokka, then back to Katara.

"I know… I'm sorry I yelled at you. Both of you." She added slightly begrudgingly. "I just want everyone to stop worrying about me. I'm going to be okay."

"I know you will." Zuko said and looked to Aang. Aang nodded softly and Zuko turned back to Katara who came up to him and hugged him tightly. He hugged her and patted her head. "You're in good hands."

"I don’t need to be in anyone's hands." She said and let go of him, giving him a smirk.

"I don't trust the hands you're in anyway." Sokka said, giving a pointed look to Aang.

"Sokka… what do I have to do to earn your trust?" He asked, practically begging.

"Nothing!" Katara said in his defense, walking over to Aang's side and holding his hand. "He will always think what he thinks of you. It doesn’t matter to him that you want nothing but peace and balance in the world. Or that I trust you. And apparently Suki didn’t knock any sense into him so forget about him."

"Katara, I mean it!" He said walking up to Aang and looking him in the eyes. "I know he is going to hurt you someday."

"Sokka… I love your sister. I swear I will never hurt her. " He said firmly and Katara was quick to pipe up.

"And I love him. And I can stand my own ground. I am not helpless."

Sokka and Zuko were silent. They had not been expecting such strong emotions to bloom between the two of them so quickly.

"You can't be serious." Sokka said and put his hands on his hips. Aang and Katara stayed quiet, Katara glaring at her brother. Zuko came up behind him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Sokka, keep calm." Zuko said roughly, a little surprised at where the conversation had gone.

"You barely know him! How can you love him?" Sokka asked, pointing to Aang.

"Sokka, I have had enough of this! I know him better than you think I do. We're together and we're going to be for a while. You just have to deal with it. I'm so ashamed of how you've been acting lately. You should trust my judgment." She firmly stated, tired of defending not only herself but Aang as well.

Sokka looked between them and she slipped her hand into his, affirming her love for him without words. The silence passed on before he sighed and dropped his arms.

"Alright, I give up. Do what you want. I've never been able to stop you anyway. But don’t think I won't be keeping an eye on you." He said to Aang who just gave a respectful nod.

"Okay, now that that's over…" Zuko said and guided Sokka to the side so he could stand in front of the Avatar.

"It's been a while since we've seen each other, and now I'm going back to the fire nation. It doesn't seem as if I'll be part of your journey anymore…" Zuko said with a sad smile.

"Don’t say that Zuko, you're starting to sound like Iroh." Aang said with a smile. Zuko chuckled.

"Sometimes I feel like an old man. Just without the wisdom and experience." He smiled and put his hands on his shoulders.

"You and I have been through so much together. Since the day I found you in that iceberg, my life hasn't been the same. We've been on this incredible journey together. I've seen you go from a boy to a man, from an airbending prodigy to a fully realized avatar. And now, with this city finally settled and with this new nation in place… It's just time for us to part ways."

"Why does it sound like you are saying goodbye forever?" Aang asked softly, letting go of Katara's hand.

"I'm not. I just know that your new journey isn't going to come by my way any time soon. So for now, my friend, we say goodbye."

Aang pulled him into a strong hug and smiled sadly when they parted.

"Have a safe trip home. Say hello to Mai for me."

"Bye Zuko." Katara said and rushed in for another hug, making him laugh.

"Don't forget what I said. Come see me any time." Zuko said but looked from her to Aang. "If you have time." He amended, realizing her journey with him was just beginning with a smile. He turned to Sokka and held out his arm, as was the watertribe tradition. Sokka gripped his arm and they pulled each other into a quick man-hug, one very different from the hug between Aang and himself.

"Take care." Sokka said and Zuko pulled away, nodding and letting of of his arm. He walked to the door and opened it, giving them a wave goodbye before exiting out into the rain. Now it was just the three of them and Katara looked between Sokka and Aang, hoping for no more arguments. Sokka turned back to them and Katara took Aang's arm like a child, silently saying he wasn't going to come between them. He rolled his eyes and took a side step towards the door.

"I should be heading out too. Suki is probably wondering where I am."

"You guys get a house then, or are you staying at an inn?"

"We're looking still. We found one that's perfect and not too far from City Hall. I think it's the one. But yeah, for now we are staying at an inn downtown. Really classy place. I'll see you later… You." He said and pointed to Aang. "Take care of her."

"I will." Aang responded before Katara could protest that she didn’t need to be taken care of. Sokka nodded and let himself out, closing the door behind him. When he was gone they both sighed and looked at each other, Aang giving her a smug smirk.

"What?" She asked and he just shook his head, pulling her into him and just holding her close.

"That could have gone much worse." He said into her hair.

"Just ignore him…" She said into his robes, wrapping her arms around him as the thunder boomed outside, lightning casting shadows throughout the house. Her arms tightened around him as an extremely loud crash of thunder echoed through the sky.

"Scared of storms?" He asked her softly. She nodded into his robes, a little ashamed that she, a 22 year old woman, still shook like a child every now and then at really bad storms.

"Me too…" He said and kissed her head, remembering the storm the night he ran away all those years ago. The night that he was overcome by the icy waters in that typhoon and the avatar state saved both him and Appa, freezing them in that iceberg. They held each other for a while before she looked up at him.

"What made you come over in the first place? Not that I mind, it's just… I know how busy you are."

"I don’t know, something just didn’t feel right. I can't explain it. It's probably some weird avatar thing." He said with a soft chuckle. She smiled and cupped his check.

"Well, I thank the spirits that you came… because I needed you."

At that moment another crackle of thunder and a flash of lightning came what sounded like right over her house, and suddenly there was darkness. Pitch black and everything that had been running on power was silent.

"Great." Katara said. "And I don’t know where my spark rocks are…" She let go of him and walked around her furniture, knowing her tiny house like the back of her hand.

Aang instantly held a tiny flam in his hands that flooded her home with a warm glow.

"Don’t need them. I'm here. Where are your candles?"

"In the bedroom, come with me." She said and he followed her voice around the corner and down the hall, standing in the doorway to her room. She was already on the floor on hands and knees, digging under her bed.

"Can you bring that little flame closer? I can barely see under here."

He came down and knelt beside her, the flame easily controlled in his hand.

"Better?"

She pulled out a few cylinders with wicks and smiled. "Yes, perfect. Good thing you're the avatar."

"Good thing I was here when the power went out." He laughed and they stood up together, her leading them down the hall. When they got to the living room she turned around and put one of the candle wicks into the flame, lighting it and setting it on the small table. She did so with the next two, placing one on the dining room table and one in the kitchen.

"Well, now what? I was going to make dinner, but I'm not opening up the ice box… I want everything to stay cold."

Aang thought for a moment.

"Our second date."

"Hmm?"

"Let's have our second date. Right now."

"Aang, it's pouring outside. I can waterbend, but I really don’t want to go anywhere in this storm, even if I can stay dry." She said.

"Not a problem. I'll make you dinner. Remember, I'm a great cook?" He said with a smug grin on his face.

"Really, have it here?"

"Why not? It's dry, warm, it's just us, and we can relax and just be ourselves. So, what do you say?" He said with his most charming smile that made her heart absolutely melt. He could have been asking her to earthbend and she would have said yes to that face.

"Okay then, date night it is. But I'm not sure you'll find anything to cook in my kitchen… It's not exactly vegetarian friendly."

"I found food at the northern watertribe during my time there. Trust me, I know what I'm doing." He chuckled and walked passed her, going straight to the kitchen.

She laughed to herself. The all mighty Avatar was here, said he loved her, and was in her kitchen right now making her dinner. This situation was bizarre and she had to laugh, what else could she do? She sat patiently at her little table in the dining room, watching him rummage about, cook, walk back and forth, and just look so focused for some time. She was happy, just watching him. And he was so concentrated, not wanting to disappoint her. She was quiet, holding back her remarks of how completely adorable he was and if he needed any help. After about thirty minutes of waiting, he brought her a plate and a bowl, setting the same for himself. In the steaming, bowls, she recognized seaweed noodles in some type of broth but the plate was a dish she didn't recognize. It was rice for sure, but had things in it she didn’t know were even in her kitchen. There was a pale green sauce over the rice and what looked like water chestnuts.

"It looks delicious Aang, thank you so much." She said with a smile as he sat across from her, the small table making them very close together. He reached out to her.

"Take my hand." he asked tenderly with a smile and she slipped her hand into his, feeling his warm and gentle touch. He bowed his head and closed his eyes speaking softly.

"We want to thank the Spirits for presenting this meal before us. For keeping us safe and guiding us down our pathways of life to find each other. We ask that you continue to guide us through our life trials and help us keep peace and balance in the world." He ended and let go of her hand, smiling to her.

"Dig in."

She was weary of the green-covered rice, but took a bite anyway, giving a little squeak when she tasted it.

"It's so… sweet!"

"It's a special sauce I invented. It uses dried seaweed flour, melon juice, sugar, water and a few other spices." He said with a smile, eating his noodles first.

"You're kind of a show off." She said with a smile, putting more rice into her mouth.

"Only for you." He said and gave her a cheeky wink, making her giggle.

The rest of the dinner was fairly quiet besides the rolling thunder and flashes of lightning. When their meal was over, Katara insisted on clearing the table for them. He nodded upon her insistence and followed her into the kitchen.

She filled the sink with water and soap, tossing the dirty pans bowls and plates into the sink and turning to him.

"Aren't you going to do those."

"When you leave."

"Is it time for me to go?"

"I don’t want you to… but look at the time." She said and pointed to the clock on the wall. It was nearly ten at night, the storm still raging.

"I understand. It's not like I can’t see you tomorrow."

She nodded and came over to him, wrapping her arms around him.

"You may be a little bit of a show off, but you really are an amazing cook."

He smiled and put his hand under her chin, lifting her up to meet his lips. Their kiss was soft at first. Loving, lips pressing lightly against each others. But soon Aang pressed her further, turning their kiss into a long, breathtaking encounter, leaving both of them flushed, wanting more. When they did separate, their hearts were racing and they just smiled. He kissed her on the forehead and gave her a tight hug.

"I need to go."

She let go of him and walked him to her door, opening it as a flash of lightning lit up the sky.

"Be careful…"

"I will. I love you Katara…" He said and gave her a sweet kiss on the cheek.

"I love you too."

He smiled and headed out into the rain as she watched him until she couldn’t see him anymore. She closed the door and smiled to herself. It had been a perfect second date.


	7. Visions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: I took a little break from writing my stories because I needed it. But for those of you who have stuck by me, you have no idea how much it makes my heart sing with joy! Here we have the next installment. Hope you enjoy. There is a little bit (okay a lot actually) of graphic violence and a bit of gore in this so please be weary of that. This is as sad as this story gets, I promise. Shout out to Dacyon who gave me a LOT of inspiration, not to mention that AMAZING one hour special with Wan from Book 2. Disclaimer: I own nothing - Bryke and Co are the ones you should bow down to.

A month had passed and not a day went by where they didn’t see each other, even if it was Katara hanging out at the air temple and just watching him work. They had grown to love each other even more and learn the little things about each other. Though their time spent alone together was scarce, when they were alone things didn’t go very far beyond heated kisses. They were not going to rush their relationship now that everything was out in the open, although sometimes those heavy lidded eyes they gave each other said otherwise.

The temple and the surrounding buildings were finally finished and thirty-some Air Acolytes had come to live with Aang in their respective dorms. Not all of them were women, but a good two thirds were. With the buildings finished and the grounds in working order, the place still didn’t seem like home. The library was nearly empty, his home and the temple had hardly any decorations or air nomad artifacts, not to mention the training gates were missing from their posts near the plaza. There was just so much missing and so little he could retrieve from the other air temples. Some of the Acolytes had brought with them artifacts they had found on their own, but it wasn't enough. The rooms still echoed. The walls were still too blank. And it made Aang sad in his heart to know there were some things that he just couldn't bring back.

It was another stormy night that night as they entered early summer together. He had awoken in a cold sweat with heavy breathing from a vision. Across the bay, Katara was tossing and turning that night too as the thunder rolled and made her uncomfortable, flashes of lightning splitting the sky. The rain came down in sheets, the heavy sound on her roof making the night restless for her. In her dream she saw herself in an air temple she wasn't familiar with. She kept calling out for Aang and became anxious when she couldn't find him. Next thing she knew she was being outnumbered by fire and earthbenders and she had to fight as hard as she could to keep them at bay, all while trying to call for Aang to help her. There were a dozen of them, and she hadn't fought in a long time, easily needing his back up. Just then a loud crack of thunder woke her up and she sat straight up in bed, breathing and sweating just like he had not far from her home. As she tried to catch her breath a knock came at her door and she slipped out of bed, knowing exactly who it was. No one else would dare disturb her this late into the night.

As she opened the door as Aang stumbled through with his glider in hand and in just his pants, closing the door behind him and setting his glider against the wall.

"Did you have a bad dream too?" She asked him before he could even say anything. He turned to her and just wrapped his arms around her body, holding her close. The embrace was just that of relief and nothing sensual, despite herself being in the little night gown she was in when came over that morning after their first date.

"No… it wasn't a dream." He said into her hair, holding her so close, so relieved that she was okay and not hurt. "It was a vision."

He backed away from her and held her by the shoulders.

"Vision? Of what Aang?"

"You were at the Eastern Air Temple and you got ambushed by some benders, they outnumbered you and I wasn't around to help you…"

"But… that's what I dreamed of…" She said and looked into his eyes, slightly fearful. He looked from her to the ground and let go of her shoulders, walking over to her small couch and sitting down, hanging his head in his hands. She came and sat beside him and was quiet for a while. Eventually her curiosity got the better of her.

"How could we have had the same dream?"

"It wasn't a dream Katara. It was a vision of the future…" He said and dragged his hands down his face, hunched over in worry. Katara tried to use reason.

"Maybe it was just a coincidence. You and I are really in tune right now. Maybe-"

"Stop. I've had these before. I know it's going to happen, I just can’t-… I can’t ever put you in that much danger." He said and gave her a sad look. She took his hand tried to comfort him silently. He wasn't finished though. "What I can’t figure out though, is why you had a vision. You've… never gone to the spirit world, have you?"

"No, I didn’t even know that was a possibility for people besides the Avatar…" She said softly.

"It is, you just have to be very spiritually connected. I've been having a lot of visions lately, but this one disturbs me." He said and pulled her into another embrace. She looked up to him at his words.

"Why haven't you told me about these visions you've been having?" She asked, a little hurt that he wouldn't share that with her.

"Because I never saw them as urgent or dangerous until tonight. Something's not right…"

"What's been happening in them?"

He let go of her torso and sighed, holding her hand.

"It's mostly you and I flying to the Eastern Air temple. Sometimes I'm searching for something. Sometimes you and I are just walking around. I've been meaning to go to get the airbending gates and bring them here. I wanted you to go with me. I thought that's what I was seeing… But now I know it's something different. And if you've had the vision, it's your destiny to be there with me. I just can't figure out why rebels show up at the Eastern Air Temple!" He said in frustration, letting go of her hand and standing up, pacing. "And I don’t even want you to be in that much danger, especially if the reason is I neglected to be by your side!"

Katara stood up and came up to him, holding him around the neck and shoulders.

"Aang, calm down. You've never seen me fight before. I can handle myself. And you can’t be by my side every second."

"I'm not saying you aren't strong, I just don’t want you in that situation…" He wrapped his arms around her and buried his face into her hair. "I love you so much… I don’t want to lose you."

"I love you too." She said and gave his shoulder a loving kiss, of which distracted him momentarily. She had never kissed him anywhere but his face and head. He shook away the chills and got back to the matter at hand. He pulled his face out of her hair and looked down at her.

"So, what do we do? Do we just ignore these visions? Or do we… follow through?" She asked softly.

"I don’t know. I need to consult with someone about this… Give me a moment." He said and let her go, walking passed her and down the hall. She followed him as their bare footsteps echoed off the walls and watched walk into her bedroom. She turned the corner to see him sit at the foot of her bed, folding his legs.

"Why are you in here?" Katara asked, a little puzzled.

"Listen… I need to take a little trip, but I need my body to be safe. Will you watch over me? I won’t be long… hopefully."

"Uh, sure?" She said, confused.

"Thank you. See you soon." He said and bowed his head putting his fists together. Suddenly his tattoos started to glow and he turned stiff. He was like that for a few moments before Katara tried to speak with him again.

"Aang?" She asked and touched his shoulder. No response. Finally she put the pieces together. He was in the spirit world. She slumped against the wall in her bedroom and watched him sit there like a statue for a while.

She hugged her knees to her chest and just watched him breathe evenly, the rise and fall of his chest the only signs he was actually still alive. Lightning split the sky once more and the loud crash made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. She unfolded herself and crawled over to Aang's side, grabbing the blanket off the bed and wrapping them together as she leaned into his side and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt much safer next to him, even though he wasn't really there. Before long, the warmth seeping from his body made their little cocoon nice and cozy, Katara's eyelids getting droopy. She decided to close them for just a moment, just to rest her eyes as the thunder outside started to quiet down, the rain just a whisper on her roof.

About an hour later Aang came back into his body, finding his love asleep on his shoulder. Though the news he bore was unnerving, he smiled at the sight of her lips parted slightly in a deep sleep, looking so relaxed and peaceful. He very carefully wrapped his arms around her and stood slowly, slipping one arm under her legs, the other behind her back and picking her up, holding her against his body as the blanket fell to the ground with a soft thud on the wood floor. He came beside her bed and laid her down very slowly, hoping not to disturb her. He took his arms back and grabbed the blanket to cover her up, leaning over her and moving a few strands of hair from her face, marveling at how beautiful she was. Another small smile pulled at the corners of his mouth as he placed a kiss on her cheek, whispering parting words to her. As he turned to leave he was surprised when her hand jutted out from beneath the covers and captured his wrist. He turned his head to find her eyes still closed. She was still asleep.

"Don’t leave me." She mumbled in her sleep.

It amazed him how aware of him she was, even in her sleep. She didn't just say not to leave, but not to leave her. He sighed and smiled, sitting on the edge of the bed. He would never deny her a request when presented like that. Her hand fell back to the bed and he pulled his legs up to rest beside hers, leaning back onto one of her pillows and laying on his side. She was quick to curl up against his bare chest and he blushed. They had never done this before, but it was something that he didn’t even know he needed until this very moment. He rested his chin on her head and wrapped a hand around her middle, his body on top of the covers to keep them separate. He kissed the top of her head and closed his eyes.

"I won't. I promise." He whispered and relaxed, watching the rain stream down her window. Eventually his eyes closed and his breathing became slower and the message be had to relay lost its importance temporarily.

……

The rays of sunlight came in through her window, shining on her face. She woke slowly, hearing the birds chirping outside. The storm had finally passed and she had gotten the most restful night's sleep she could ever remember getting. She smiled and went to turn on her back when she felt weight around her middle. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked down, seeing a pale tattooed arm resting on top of the covers. Her heart raced and she turned around, looking behind her. Instantly her eyes were locked with a pair of silver ones that she was all too familiar with, her face going from dark tan to dark crimson as realization came crashing down on her.

"Good morning." He said softly, trying not to smile at her.

"You- you stayed the night?" Her voice squeaked out, trying to remember how he ended up in her bed. Her thoughts started to race.

"You asked me to."

"I… did?" She questioned, not remembering such a conversation.

"Yes you did. You weren't awake though. You talk in your sleep." He said and blushed a little bit, remembering some things she had said last night in her dreams.

"But you still stayed…" She said and her eyes softened and she noticed the blush on his face. "What else did I say?"

"Nothing important." He said vaguely, smirking and reaching his hand up to cup her face. In actuality, she had whispered and moaned his name a few times, making him wonder exactly what kind of dreams she were having. Before she could ask any further questions his lips were on hers and she wasn't going to deny him. When their lips came together, both of their hearts melted and eyes closed, either of them ready to stay frozen in that moment for all time. The longer they stayed connected, the harder it was for either of them to hold back their passion. Aang was the first to pull away, letting his hand drop from her face. They both opened their eyes and just gazed at each other, Katara thinking for a brief instance that there was no one around to interrupt them. They were completely alone. She pushed the thought back as he smiled to her, sitting up and stretching. She sat up and pulled her knees to her chest, remembering how he came to be in her house in the first place.

"So, where did you go last night?" She asked and he turned to her. His cheery morning was now something he had wanted to avoid; stressful. He sighed and dropped his arms down at his sides.

"I was talking to my past lives… Avatar Yangchen in particular. Something is going on at the Eastern Air Temple. She couldn’t tell me what, she said that would interfere with my decision to go. She left me a warning though…"

"What was her warning?"

"She said that if I don't go, a life is going to be lost…" He said and closed his eyes, feeling a strange mixture of guilt and despair crawl through him. He couldn’t possibly carry the burden of not going and being responsible for someone's death… but he also couldn’t put Katara in danger.

"And if you do go… our vision holds true?"

He nodded and held his head in his hands just as he had last night. He hadn't felt this conflicted since he battled with Ozai. She looked at him and she could feel the turmoil inside of him. That's when she had had enough. She threw the covers off of her and walked over to her little closet, digging through her stuff. The noise made Aang look up at her, seeing her tossing things behind her onto the floor.

"What are you doing?" He asked quietly. She threw a large bag behind her and pulled herself out of the closed, kneeling down on the ground and stuffing clothing into her bag.

"I'm going to the Eastern Air Temple." She said and stood up, throwing her bag on the bed. She went back to her closet and pulled out some clothes for her to wear. When she had her clothes for the day gathered she made her way behind a wooden divider and started to change.

"You can't be serious." Aang said from the bed, completely in shock. She flung her night gown over the top of the divider and grabbed her bottoms.

"I am completely serious."

"You don't even know who it is."

"Aang, it doesn’t matter. You said it yourself; if you don’t go, someone will die. It's obviously someone very important or we wouldn’t have had visions about it."

"Yes, if I go. This has nothing to do with you." He said, standing up and walking over to the divider, staying on his side of it.

"If it had nothing to do with me, why did the spirits grant me a glimpse of the future? You said it yourself that now it's my destiny to be there with you."

"I don’t want you there. It's too dangerous. There's too much on the line." He said rather forcefully, feeling his anxiety skyrocket.

At that she pulled the divider to the side and stared at him, fully clothed in an outfit he had never seen before. Her arms were wrapped in white cloth. She had on a light blue top with white fur trimming the collar and shoulder lines with a dark blue pattern down the middle. There was a piece of brown leather around her waist. A long navy skirt that was trimmed with a light blue bands and white fur hung from her hips along with navy leggings and brown leather boots. He had never seen her so casual.

"Aang, someone is out there and needs help. Our help. What if you get there and they are seriously injured? Can you heal them?"

His mouth came open to argue but it was quickly snapped shut. She was right but that didn’t change his mind. He still didn’t want his vision to come true.

"We need to go. Together." She said walked over to her bed, grabbing the bag walking out of the room. He sighed and followed her, trying to think of a way to reason with her. He watched as she put her bag on the little dining room table and started to go through her pantry, getting a basket from the top and filling it with dried meats, fruits and vegetables. He came up behind her as she rested the full basket on the counter, his hands coming up over her hands.

"Katara… please don’t do this." He said very softly, trying the opposite approach.

"Aang…" She turned and look at him, seeing the terror on his face. He leaned on the counter, her pinned between it and the Avatar.

"Look me in the eye and tell me that me not going with you is what's best."

He hesitated and looked over her head.

"I don’t have to take you. I can just leave. If I took Appa you wouldn’t be able to come after me." He tried to sound calm but the thought of being without her caused him pain, of which was clear in this tone.

"You wouldn't. You can’t even look me in the eye and tell me this is a bad idea."

He looked back down to her and locked eyes with her.

"Please try and understand… as incredibly useful as you would be, and as much as I can’t go a day without seeing you, something is going to happen to where I am not around and you are ambushed. And you want me to bring you along anyway, knowing there is a chance that you could be seriously hurt? I just can't be that selfish. It's my duty to protect this world. I am the Avatar. This is not something you signed up for. So please Sweetie…" He begged and butterflies went through her stomach. He had never used a pet name for her out loud before. She blushed and he took her hands, a certain kind of sadness in his eyes. "Please don’t go."

"Aang… That's exactly why I need to go. You need me and I need you. And someone is out there, needing my help. I may not be the avatar, but the spirits think I'm suited for the job at hand. And I will never turn my back on someone who needs me." She said firmly, despite him being desperate to talk her out of this decision. He sighed and let go of her hands.

"Alright… I don’t like it, but I'm not going to fight with you about this." He said and kissed her softly on the lips. "I'll be back in about 20 minutes, be ready."

"Already am."

…

They flew as fast as they could, almost all day and night, and it still took them a week to get there. Appa was happy when they landed in the courtyard of the main temple, both exhaustion and a feeling of homecoming washing over the giant beast. Aang helped Katara down and they didn’t bother unpacking. They were both anxious, looking around.

"It's beautiful, but it's deserted. Why are there no Acolytes?"

"I don’t know… there used to be quite a lot of them. I don't like the way this feels. Follow me and stay close. Be ready for anything."

She was, she had two water skins strapped to the leather piece around her middle - water on hand and ready to be used for either defense or healing. As they walked through the temple their footsteps echoed off the stone walls, of which had beautiful paintings on them much like the northern air temple. Aang had told her how he had restored all the temples himself, spending a few years doing so. This temple had the most damage done so he did this one first, the southern last. Katara was in awe and fell behind Aang a few steps, gawking at sacred carvings and paintings. Something shiny caught her eye and she turned. The sun had bounced off a puddle, the light hitting her directly in the face.

"It must have rained recently." She called out to him.

"It didn’t. Why?" He turned to see he was quite ahead of her, almost an entire city block.

Katara turned and walked over where he couldn't see her, towards the puddle. The closer she got the more she realized it wasn't water. She gasped and covered her mouth, her intake of breath echoing off the walls. Aang ran to her side and looked down at the puddle and his face fell.

"It's not water." She said in horror.

"It's blood." He affirmed.

There in front of them was a five long by at least three foot wide pool of blood.

"But where's the body? That's way too much blood for a human to loose and then just disappear."

"I don’t know..." He said and looked around the pool, spotting large droplets leading down one of the hallways. "There's a trail. You stay here, I'm going to follow the trail."

"No, this is exactly why I came. You need me. I can help."

"Alright, come on."

They left the pool of blood behind and followed the trail, leading them down hallways and several turns until finally skid marks and spears started to appear, some of the marks quite high on the walls. Higher than any human could reach. Finally the blood stopped at a dead end hallway, and Aang looked around for the victim. There in the corner was a small figure crouched on the ground. He was frozen. He couldn’t even process what he was seeing. Katara bumped into him and tried to look around him.

"What is it?" She asked, walking around to his side. She froze too. There, in front of them was a baby bison, loosing what little blood it had left all over the floor.

"Oh no!" Katara yelled and came over to the animal's side. She quickly bent out the water from her pouches but hesitated.

"Aang… I don’t know how to heal animals… what if-"

"Just try!" He yelled, coming out of his shock. "Try everything you can! Do everything in your power Katara!" He begged, still unbelieving that he had found another flying bison. Katara's skirt was soaked in blood and she tried to get the animal to cooperate, but it snapped it's jaw at her.

"I won’t hurt you… you have to turn over so I can heal you. I'm a friend." She said softly, trying to coax the little one to turn on its side. It eventually did and they got a good look at the slit on its belly, seeing things that would make a grown man cringe such as part of an intestine hanging out of it. Katara instantly had tears running down her face, unable to comprehend what kind of monster would hurt something so innocent. But she went to work, healing up the majority of its large wound and placing its insides back where they belonged before closing it up. By now her hands were completely red and she examined the creature, finding more wounds and healing them. Those were less serious but still needed to be healed. After about 30 minutes of working, Katara bent the water back into her skins.

"That's all I can do. She has a lot of internal damage that will have to heal on its own, I can’t reach that far. But I think after a couple weeks of tender care, she'll be alright."

"She?" Aang asked coming to Katara's side.

"Yes, she. It's a girl. I got a good look at her insides. Come on, help me carry her."

Aang came over to her face and patted her head, the bison closing her eyes and relaxing around them. They lifted her together and carried her back through the halls, eventually coming to the courtyard where Appa was napping. Appa smelled the blood as they came closer and awoke with a start, coming up to them and meeting them. Aang and Katara exchanged a look and set the baby bison on the ground, Appa taking the opportunity to lick the little one's fur clean of all the blood.

"Aren't the mom's usually the ones to clean their young?"

"I think he's just trying to help any way he can… you have to understand… all this time we've thought he was the only one left. Just like me… but I can have children. He couldn’t."

"Well, now maybe he can. It all depends on how her recovery goes."

They both watched in silence as Appa finished his task, nuzzling the little baby bison with his nose, but being very careful with it.

"Okay, you two can bond later. We need to get out of here." Aang said and crouched down, Katara mirroring him as they lifted the baby together.

"What makes you so eager to leave? She's a baby right? So where's the mom?" Katara asked. They came around the side of Appa and with some airbending, Aang made loading the baby into the saddle easy work. When he got her settled in he climbed back down off of Appa.

"The mom's gone. Whoever did this to her must have taken out the mother first… A mother would never let this happen otherwise."

"What about other babies? Should we search for them?"

Aang thought about it and searched inside his robes, pulling out the bison whistle. He blew it as hard as he could and looked around. Appa and the baby perked up, but no other bison seemed to be coming.

"How far away can that thing be heard?"

"Miles…" He said softly and put the whistle in his robes again. They waited for what seemed like an eternity before Aang spoke up. "I think she's the last one."

"No, there has to be more…" Katara said and started walking away from him.

"Where are you going? Come back, we need to leave."

"I'm not leaving until I am positive there aren’t any others!" She said and started to run towards the temple.

"Katara! We have to go!"

She just continued to run.

Aang verbally growled, getting frustrated with her. He looked to his animal companion.

"I don’t want to leave you alone with her… but I really don’t want to have Katara go off on her own either. Do you think you can protect her while I go get my other half?" Aang asked casually.

Appa nudged his arm and grunted. Aang took that as a yes.

"Thank you, I promise I'll be back really soon."

Aang took off after Katara, praying for the vision to not come true.

…..

Katara came to the pool of blood, taking off in the exact opposite direction they had gone when they found the baby bison. She ran to the left, going down long hallways and through open archways, passing up a room that had an enormous statue of Avatar Yangchen, until she came upon a bridge. She stopped and looked over to the western part of the temple. She walked slowly across the bridge and looked down, seeing little droplets of blood.

"I knew it!" She screamed and took off, following the blood trails across the rest of the bridge and into the other side of the temple. She ran as fast as she could until she came across the courtyard. She stopped dead in her tracks when she way what the courtyard held. Four other baby bison lay on the ground together as if tossed in a pile; dead. Her heart dropped and she started to cry for them when she heard a voice.

"Well, look what the catdeer dragged in."

Katara turned and a man with a staff sword was standing with some other armed men, their weapons bloody.

"Hey, we let a baby get away, we get a woman running back. That's a fair trade, right fellas?" Another man asked and the men chuckled darkly. Katara was immediately put on the defense, bending the water out and showing them who they were dealing with.

She held the water around her in two streams.

"Where's the mother?" Katara asked.

"Ooh, looks like we've actually got a bender this time. No need for these guys." The appointed leader of them said, throwing down his sword. The others did as he did and some of them held fire in their hands, a few of them pulled chunks of the stone courtyard up and held them above their heads. Katara started to panic. This was her vision. This is what she had seen. She glanced at the pile of bison babies and tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Look what you've done to them you monsters! Tell me where the mother is!" She screamed through her tears, commanding their attention.

"You've got quite the mouth on ya. We gonna fight or are we gonna chitchat?" He asked with an evil smirk.

She closed her eyes and threw ice daggers at them, completely lost in her fury. She knocked one down, the rest dodged easily and came for her. She tried to hold them off but she had very little water left to hold them back with. She surrounded herself with a spinning torrent and screamed for Aang.

"Aang! Where are you?!"

"Is she seriously calling for back-up?" One man said.

"Hey maybe it's another girl!" Another man hooted.

She sent more ice daggers at them and a few more men fell down. A large boulder was thrown through her water and she almost didn’t get out of the way in time. Her water torrent dropped and she could see herself very outnumbered. It was nine against herself.

"AANG!" She yelled again, her scream reverberating off the temple walls.

He could hear her, he wasn't far behind her. He was running as fast as he could, terror driving him forward. His vision had come true and she was in need of him.

"Hey, will you pipe down! Whoever you're callin' for ain't comin'!" The leader said, firing two jets of pure fire at her. She dodged them and froze his feet where he stood with the little water she had left. He just laughed and thawed himself quickly.

"Fire beats ice honey." He said and kicked another jet towards her, the rest of his men firing shots and throwing chunks of stone at her. It got to one point where she couldn't dodge and she got knocked back, flying backwards towards the temple. She skidded to a stop just as Aang arrived, seeing her laying on the ground and the men coming towards her.

"Katara, no!" He screamed and continuing to run past her body and towards them, bending them away easily with air. He came to her side and she just said two words.

"The babies." She said with tear stained cheeks, as he helped her up.

He looked around and saw their bodies. It felt unreal. Like someone had torn his entire world apart. He thought someone hurting Katara was enough to push him over the edge but this… it was too much. His eyes and tattoos started to glow and he was lifted up into the air as the men regained their composure, realizing fully with whom they were dealing with. He was lost in rage. The kind airbender was buried under a revenge seeking man that Aang had never met.

"Where is the mother?" He asked in a voice that sounded like his but mixed with a hundred others.

"We-she's not here. She's already gone. We sold her for parts. She's dead." The leader of the men said in a cower, falling to his knees.

"Then you will pay the ultimate price for her and her children."

He lifted his arms, ready to take out his rage on them when Katara grabbed his ankle.

"Aang no! That will make you no better than them! Please…" She begged. the sound of her voice penetrated him to his very core, where Aang the Airbender was and we was no longer lost. He came down off of his high from rage, slowly floating down and standing next to her. He looked at the men and spoke with them.

"You are to leave this temple and never return to any temple for as long as you live. And if I find out that you have come back, I will make sure you wish you hadn't."

The men nodded and scrambled to get away from the scene, all except for the first man Katara had gotten down. He was just coming to. Aang walked up to him and asked him a very simple question.

"Where are the Acolytes?"

"Tiba scared them off into the nearby village. We didn’t harm them, I swear!"

"Leave." Aang said and he did just so, rather quickly too.

When they were alone Katara wanted to console Aang but he wasn't still. He went to the edge of the courtyard and used his earthbending to dig four large holes. He then airbent each one of the babies into their own graves, covering them with dirt. He stood in front of them and said a small prayer, tears rolling down his cheeks. Katara came up to him and he turned upon hearing her, looking down at her and seeing that she was crying too. She came into his arms and they sobbed together for the babies and their mother, the last known family of sky bison. With their eyes burning they walked hand in hand together through the temple and over the bridge to the main temple. By the time they had gotten to where Appa was he was napping with the baby on top, she was also asleep. Aang helped Katara onto Appa and they flew away from the scene, feeling hollow with a mixture of happiness; they had saved one. Katara took a look at the baby and saw that her marking were different than Appa's and her ears were brown. It was a quiet ride for the most part until Katara spoke up.

"What should we name her?"

Aang thought for a moment before responding softly to her from Appa's head.

"I got to name Appa, why don’t you name her?" He suggested.

She was thoughtful for a moment and she smiled. She crawled out of the saddle and sat next to Aang, taking her arm and looping around his.

"How about Amhi? It means mother in an ancient culture. And she will become a mother one day, I'm sure of it."

He grinned softly. "How very fitting. Amhi…"

She smiled and kissed Aang on the cheek as they flew off toward the United Republic to start Amhi's recovery.


	8. Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: I own nothing

Katara walked towards the main temple and saw Aang standing in the courtyard, waiting for her. When their eyes met she felt a surge of energy pass through her and picked up the pace. She started to run towards him and he opened his arms for her as she crashed into him, laughing and kissing her on the head. She laughed and looked up at him.

"I'm guessing you're happy to see me? It's just been one day." Aang said.

"You're saying that while I was gone, you weren't aware of my missing presence?" She asked playfully.

"As if you even need to ask." He said and cupped her chin, pulling her up into a kiss. She smiled into the kiss and enjoyed the taste of her other half. After going a day without him she felt like she needed to make up for lost time, letting herself melt in his arms. After a while she heard someone clear their throat. She broke the kiss and looked around, seeing a few Acolytes gawking at them. She blushed but Aang didn’t see the problem. Everyone knew how in love with her he was, even if she didn’t know it herself. He smiled and gave her another kiss on the lips.

"Did you find what you needed?"

"Yes, and at a very reasonable price; free."

"You didn’t steal them, did you?"

"Of course not! I was actually on my way to the herbalist and happened to stumble upon a section of herbs growing in the wild. The exact herbs I needed. So I picked them." She said and smiled at him, handing him a small cloth bag. "Treat it like tea and make sure she gets at least three doses of that a day until the bag runs out. It will help with her fertility now so when she is older there are no complications."

Aang put the bag in his robes and hugged her, picking her up and giving her a little spin.

"You are truly amazing, you know that? I didn’t even know herbs like this existed… without you, she'd be dead and Appa would have no one to be with. You can’t understand what this means to us…" He said and looked deep into her eyes, feeling like he was going to tear up. She simply kissed him again.

"But we lost a lot of lives still… the mother, and the other four babies… Yangchen was wrong."

"No. I thought she was too, but do you remember the first night we stopped to rest with Amhi?"

"Not much of it, I remember passing out curled up next to Amhi…" She said truthfully.

"Well, while you three were asleep I went and had a little chat with her."

...

_Aang sat, leaning against Appa, looking over Katara and the newest member of his little Air Nomad family. He sighed softly and put his fists together, calling his past life to come before him. When he opened his eyes, Yangchen was before him and there was no one around. He was in the spirit world with her._

_"You need further assistance, Avatar Aang?"_

_"You need to explain yourself. My hands are stained red with the blood of five innocent bison I failed to save. You never pressed the urgency. You lied to me. Death still surrounded us."_

_"Avatar Aang, I did not lie to you. You simply cannot see forest through the trees. Had you not saved the little female, your companion would die alone, leaving yet another breed of bending creatures extinct."_

_"What about the mother? He could have been with her!"_

_"There was no mother young Avatar. Those men were mistaken. The adult they took was female, but not the birth mother of those bison. She adopted them after the real mother was killed. Furthermore, she was barren from her own torturous life. The little one you saved was the only female sky bison left in the world alive that can bear children. And now even that is most uncertain due to her injuries. Had you not gone, she would have died."_

_"You're wrong again… It didn’t matter at all that I was there. I couldn’t do anything."_

_"But Katara could. And did. She's the greatest healer to live in your time, and should be revered for her talent and passion. Especially considering she just singlehandedly saved a species from annihilation. Remember that."_

_And with that he was flung back into his own body, taking a small gasp and blinking his eyes open. He felt his chest and looked around. He was indeed back in the physical world, and not by his choice. He sighed as he looked down at Katara and Amhi cuddled together. Yangchen was right about one thing. She was truly remarkable._

...

Katara blushed, unsure how to feel about a passed Avatar's compliment, but looked to Aang.

"So the life wasn't just one singular life she was talking about then. She meant life for all sky bison."

"Exactly. You saved her, and by connection, all the bison that will come from her."

Katara was speechless, she wasn't sure what to say. After a moment of reality crashing down on her, she spoke.

"But we're not sure if she can have children. We won't know that for a few years."

"But we have a start. And she has you. With the healing sessions you two have been doing and now this special herb, I don’t doubt that when she is of age, her and Appa will have lots babies." He said with a small blush, thinking of all the pent up energy his best friend must have.

"Speaking of, where is my baby?"

Aang smiled and got into his robes for his bison whistle. He loved it when she called Amhi hers. It was like she had an animal companion now.

"She's been playing all day with Appa, of whom has been extremely energetic these past few days." He said and blew the silent whistle.

"Aang she shouldn’t be flying! She's at a risk right now to tear something!"

"She's fine. She's better than fine. And she's about to show you just how fine she is!" Aang said as he looked over her shoulder. She didn’t understand but followed Aang's line of vision, turning just in time to be knocked to the ground by a two ton baby bison, on whom pinned her down and licked her face all over. Katara's laughter was contagious as Aang joined in, absolutely amazed at how attached to Katara the little one had gotten.

"Well, I guess you missed me too, huh?" She smiled and Amhi flew off of her, allowing Katara to sit up. Amhi hovered in the air and swerved around her head. Katara was still laughing, but now concerned.

"Come down here Amhi. You need another healing session." She said through giggles and opened up her arms. The little bison flew back down to her and landed on the ground, nudging Katara's body before laying on her back in front of her. Katara pulled the water out of the pouch she had strapped around her torso and went to work.

"Well, while you do that I'll so make this special drink for her. I'll be back in a bit, I just have to get water and a kettle." Aang said as he walked towards the dining hall.

Katara barely heard a word he said, completely absorbed into her work. The scar tissue on her lower stomach was still being extremely temperamental. Not as thick as she was used to with humans. She worried that it would tear if Amhi wasn't careful. What if Appa was too rough with her? These and other thoughts raced through Katara's mind as she worked arduously on the little bison that tugged at her heart. She didn’t even notice a young Air Acolyte walk up to her. The young woman stood there for about a minute before clearing her throat. Katara looked up finally and smiled.

"Oh, hello Meng Lu. Sorry, I didn't see you there."

"Well, you're certainly hard to miss." She sneered at her.

Katara hesitated over Amhi for a moment, feeling a sudden tension between herself and the young woman.

"I'm sorry, have I done something to offend you?"

"Oh no. It's nothing like that."

"Oh good. So what's on your mind?" She said and went back to work on her healing.

"You need to leave."

At these words the water dropped from her control and ran over Amhi's stomach. She looked back up to the woman with shock written on her face.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry, maybe I wasn't clear enough. Leave Avatar Aang alone."

Katara stood up and faced the woman, looking into her brown eyes.

"Aang is my… What right do you have to say who he can be with?"

"Oh we are all aware of how attached you have become to him. It's wrong and you know it."

"How is our relationship wrong?"

"You speak as if we don’t notice you two together. The way he moves around you, as if you are the center of his universe. We see him leave, half dressed in the middle of the night to go off into your arms, returning the next morning in the same clothing he left. And now you have your own personal sky bison while not living as an Air Nomad or an Air Acolyte and you can’t guarantee him that you will bear him airbending children. The cloud of lust around you is almost tangible to everyone who has to see you two together, and it's absolutely the most immoral thing I've ever seen. You should be ashamed of yourself."

"How dare you!" Aang's voice rang through the courtyard and the two women looked behind Katara to where Aang was standing with a tea pot in hand. Everyone who had been listening to their encounter froze and couldn't look away, as such disasters are often watched. Aang walked up to the two woman and looked from Katara to Meng Lu, the rage clear on his face.

"Avatar Aang! Please, I meant no disrespect."

"Don't try to play that card. You meant the highest disrespect possible. Is this how you really are? Are your true colors coming through?"

"Avatar Aang, please try to understand. What you two are doing is very immoral and she has the chance on giving you waterbending children-"

"Of which I would love as much as I love her. Nothing of that sort is even happening between us, not that it is any of your business."

Meng Lu's face went bright red and she went into a deep bow.

"Please accept my deepest apologies Avatar Aang!"

"Is this why you came to this island? Do you consider yourself a more suited partner, above her, because you lack any bending abilities?"

"Yes. NO! Please, Avatar Aang! I'm sorry. I didn’t mean it like this."

"Yes you did, I know you are lying!" His voice bounced off the temple and the surrounding buildings, silencing the birds. there was a tense silence that followed his statement and tears started to stream down Meng Lu's face.

"Leave." He said softly. She didn’t move. She was paralyzed with fear.

"I want you off of this island, away from the sacred air temple." He said a little louder." And that goes for anyone who is here under the illusion that being here will somehow automatically categorize you as a potential suitor for me."

She hesitated but backed away slowly, walking out of the courtyard and down to the dock. Surprisingly, about five other women followed her, apparently thinking themselves better mates than Katara. Aang was surprised at how many women left and he sighed, handing the steaming kettle to Katara and walking away from the scene. She was torn between giving the medicine to Amhi and continue her healing session, and going to comfort Aang. She signed and knelt back down, bending the medicine out of the kettle and into a ball.

"Open up Amhi." She said softly and the little one opened her mouth. She bent the medicine into her mouth and she drank it, licking her mouth clean. Katara smiled softly and picked the water up from the ground, going back to her healing session. It took a while, but when Katara was satisfied she let Amhi go, flying off and meeting Appa over the dock. Katara took the kettle and stood, walking to the main dining hall and going inside. There were a few Acolytes around, all of whom gave her a smile. She rested the kettle in the sink and asked an elderly woman a question.

"Excuse me, did you see where Aang went?"

"Lady Katara, he went off to his own house. He didn’t seem to be in the mood to talk…"

"It's okay, I'll see what I can do."

With that they bowed to each other and she headed off to his little house at the back on the island. When she came up to his door she hesitated. She had never seen the inside of his home before, and felt odd just walking in. But it was Aang, and he needed her right now. She took a deep breath and opened the door slowly.

"Aang?" She called into the house. Her voice echoed off the nearly barren walls. She let herself inside and closed the door behind her, feeling a strange kind of sadness as she saw the walls empty, nearly devoid of any decoration at all. This wasn't a home… it was a place to sleep.

"Aang, where are you?" She called out again, taking off her boots and stepping up out of the foyer and going down the main hallway. She walked passed an open door and did a double take, seeing a figure sitting on a bed with his back to the door, his outer robes balled up and thrown on the floor. She walked into his room and it was just as empty as the rest of his house, just a bed, an armoire, and a night stand. She saw on the wall, where the head of his bed was, a mural. It had the Air nation symbol surrounded by people in autumn colored robes, gliding through the sky and bison flying alongside them. It was the most beautiful painting she had ever seen and it took up the whole wall. She was speechless for a moment before coming over to him, standing in front of him. She looked at his face and he refused to look her in the eyes, looking down at the floor. She took her hands and gently framed his face, angling his upward toward her. He hesitantly slid his eyes up her body and finally up to her face. She was taken aback at the empty grey she saw, how lonely he seemed.

"Aang…" She whispered and he closed his eyes, wrapping his arms around her middle and pulling her close, burying his face into her clothes for fear of letting the floodgates behind his eyes loose. She hugged his head into her body, holding him like she know he needed. After a few moments she felt his shoulders starting to shudder silently as she felt hot tears soak through her clothes. She leaned down and kissed the top of his head, saying nothing. For a while she just let him get it out, not making a sound. After quite a while he pulled away from her body with a sniff, wiping his remaining tears with his arm. He didn’t look back up at her, just held her there, staring at her stomach where his tears stained her clothing.

"Do you want to talk about it?' She whispered softly.

He hesitated and gripped her clothing.

"I feel betrayed… I thought these people wanted to learn the ways of my people… I thought I wasn't going to be alone anymore…"

"Aang, not everyone left. And you are not alone. Look at me."

He slid his swollen eyes up to meet her sapphire gaze and his heart skipped a beat. Her stare was so intense and deep, he swore he could drown in her eyes.

"You are not alone. You still have an island full of people committed to become the new Air nation. And… I will never leave you."

He stood quickly and kissed her deeply, a couple more tears streaming down his face. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he back her up against the wall, letting his emotions get the better of him. He held her face in his hands and kissed her senselessly, staying connected longer than they ever had. Her knees felt weak and she parted her lips to let out a soft sigh, only to feel his tongue slipping between her soft lips a moment later. It completely took her by surprise but she accepted him, sliding her tongue against him. The feel and taste of her tongue made him open his eyes and pull back, snapping him back to reality.

"I-I'm sorry….I didn’t mean to-" He stuttered out, completely embarrassed of how he had advanced on her.

"It's okay." She said breathlessly, a blush coloring her skin just a shade darker.

"No it's not. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have-"

Katara silenced him with another kiss, this time she was advancing upon him. With her eyes closed she molded her lips to his, sliding her tongue along his bottom lip ever so slowly. It made butterflies fly through his stomach and he closed his eyes, parting his lips. Their tongues met again just briefly and she pulled away, giving him a quick kiss before opening her eyes. When he felt like he could breathe he rested his forehead against hers, his eyes staying closed but still holding her face in his hands.

"Katara… I love you so much. And even though I miss my people, you make me feel whole in a way I never thought I could… You are everything to me. I don’t care that you eat meat. I don’t care that you're a waterbender. It doesn't matter to me. Please don’t ever doubt that."

"I love you too, Aang. I won’t let what she said bother me. Because you are everything to me too…" She said and closed her eyes, feeling the warmth of his hands on her face. He just smiled and pressed his lips against hers once more. He was so happy. He loved her more than he thought was possible to love someone. And hearing that he meant that much to her just strengthened how he felt. It was a mutual love shared just between them. Something that they could carry together and let grow together, forever. He broke apart from her lips and held her to him, just holding her body close. She wrapped her arms from around his neck to around his torso as he rested his head on hers, kissing the top of her head.

"Thank you." He whispered into her hair.

"For what?" She asked into the crook on his neck.

"Coming to see if I was alright. I wasn't, but I am now. So thank you."

"You're welcome." She said with a smile and nudged her head against his neck, enjoying their long embrace. He took in a deep breath and gave her shoulders little squeeze.

"Do you want to have dinner here?"

"With you and the other Acolytes?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Sounds great. Come on." She said and laced her hand in his as he lead them out of his house to the dining hall.


	9. The Talk

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Let me just start by saying how much I love each and every one of you who follow this story. I'm battling myself right now because we just finished the first and biggest arc of the story and I'm not sure which arc to throw next at you people, be it the final arc or a third arc besides the final and the first. So for now, I am going in one direction to keep things moving along because there are little things that need to be addressed. I'm keeping it teen rated, but things get just a little steamy because let's face it, they are young adults. Sorry for the long intro, hope it made sense.

Once they were out of Aang's home, he lead the way to the dining hall. They could smell the delicious food before they even walked through the doors. When they did slide the door open, every Acolyte on the island was present and seated at their own little tables. Over by the open kitchen the food was ready, but no one was eating. Katara looked up at the clock and it was a quarter after six. She assumed that their time to eat was six, so why had they not eaten or even begun, she questioned.

"I'm sorry I took so long everyone. Thank you for waiting." Aang said loud enough for everyone to hear, but not shouting. Everyone was then quiet and bowed their heads, Aang letting go of Katara's hands and putting them together in front of him, bowing his own head. Katara took the hint and bowed her head, folding her hands in front of her.

"We want to thank the spirits for the bountiful meal we are about to have. We are so very thankful that we have come together today safely to enjoy each other's company and to learn from one another. We ask that you please continue to bless our efforts as we reestablish a culture almost lost and forgotten. May the spirits be with all of us here as we endeavor to do what is right and what is best for this world." Aang finished and lowered his hands. There was an air of silence that was soon broken by people standing up and lining up by the kitchen to get their meal. Katara felt so out of place. She tugged on his arm.

"Does this happen at every meal?" She asked softly as he turned to her.

"Yes. We all need to be very spiritual in order for there to be airbenders again." He said with a soft smile. He looked at her and looked around. She stuck out. Everyone was wearing yellow and orange and she was in blue. Her hair was down while all the woman had their hair in buns or braids. Everyone in the room was as pale as he was, and she was in deep contrast with her beautiful olive skin tone. He felt that she didn’t quite feel at home.

"I guess I have a lot to learn." She said softly as he led her into the line forming by the kitchen.

"Don’t worry. You don’t have to learn if you don’t want to." He said with a smile took her hand.

They followed the line near the back and grabbed bowls when it was their turn, grabbing rice and topping it with a variety of steamed vegetables and meat free sauces ranging from spicy to sweet. When they had gotten their food Aang led them to their table which was essentially a place in the floor dug out and table filling the hole so you could sit on the edge of the hole. They sat and the Acolytes didn’t join them at their little table, leaving them alone. When Katara looked around no one was staring, but when she did catch someone's eyes they merely smiled to her and went about their business. This put her at ease, knowing that the other Acolytes did not mind her company. With a soft sigh she was able to relax and eat her dinner. They ate in silence, Katara actually enjoying the air nomad food more than she had expected. Eventually the dining hall began to clear out and the area around them was empty. She felt she could speak freely.

"Something on your mind?" He asked and he put down his chopsticks, taking a swig of tea.

"You know me well." She said with a soft smile. He nodded and put down his cup.

"I do. Yet I still need to know you more… you know, you can say anything here. They know you are important to me."

"I know, but this is a private matter." She said softly.

"What is it?"

"It's about that kiss earlier." She said quietly. He blushed and rubbed the back of his neck.

"About that… I said I'm sorry. My emotions were running really high and I kind of lost control."

"I know, and you don’t have to be sorry."

"I don't?"

"No. It's just raised a question in my mind." She said and looked around, seeing hardly any Acolytes around. Aang leaned forward, waiting for her question.

"How often do you find yourself… holding back?" She asked with a small blush on her face.

"Frequently." He said and looked down at the table, folding his hands together. "I'm sorry, does that bother you?"

"No, just know that you are not alone…" She said and looked down at her lap, watching her fists on her legs. Aang blushed deeper but had a smug grin on his face.

"I knew it." He said. She looked up and met his eyes, seeing his face was as red as hers.

"Knew what?" She asked a little like a child.

"Remember when I stayed the night a week ago? Because you asked me to?"

"I remember waking up and you were there. But yes, what is your point?"

"You said, well moaned really, my name."

"Oh no…" She said and looked down, holding her face in her hands.

"And not just once either." He said with a smug grin. "Care to tell me what you were dreaming about?"

She, with her face redder than the crimson sash around Aang's middle, got up with her bowl and chopsticks, walking over to the sink and putting the objects in their proper places. Aang got up and followed her example, putting the dishes in the sink but she walked away from him, exiting the dining hall and going behind the temple towards the mediation pavilion.

"Katara!" He said following her. She stopped as she came to the farthest edge of the pavilion, leaning on the edge and looking out over the bay. Aang came up behind her, the sun setting behind them.

"Hey, why'd you run away?" He asked, stepping closer to her. She hesitated and took a deep breath.

"Because it's such a beautiful evening. I just wanted to be outside…" She said and turned to him, leaning against the railing.

"Okay… but you didn’t answer my question."

"I really don’t want to." She said and folded her arms across her chest.

"Why? I won’t be mad."

"It's not about you being upset, it's about me being… embarrassed."

Aang came up to her and put his arms on either side of her on the railing, trapping her with a smile on his face.

"You think you're the only one who dreams?" He said with a blush on his face.

She looked up into his eyes and they were a darker shade of gray, like iron. She unfolded her arms and put them on his chest, leaning back as far as she could against the railing.

"No…" She said softly as he stared into her darkened eyes. His face was inches from hers, both of their faces deep red.

"I've had dreams… I'll tell you, if you tell me." He said softly, his overwhelming charm being extremely persuasive. Katara's heart felt like it was going to pound out of her chest. She closed her eyes and shook her head. She didn’t want to have this conversation. She opened her eyes and was trapped in his gaze once again.

"I'd rather keep it to myself." She said meekly.

"It can’t be that bad." He said with a pleading smile.

"It's really graphic and personal." She said and looked down.

"You can spare me the details."

She shook her head again.

"Would you rather I go first?" He asked and lifted an eyebrow.

"I'd rather we not have this conversation at all."

"Why? Where do you think our relationship is headed?"

"I know what you're saying, but having dreams about it and actually… are two completely separate things. What if we go too far and we ruin what we have?"

"Katara. Nothing in this world could ever make me stop loving you."

She smiled and moved her hands up his chest to wrap around his neck.

"And nothing could make me stop loving you." She said softly and stared up into his eyes, wanting to look away but she couldn’t.

"I dream of us being together. Alone. In a bed-"

"Who's bed?"

"Does it matter?" She said, frustrated that he interrupted her.

"No, sorry."

She signed softly and continued.

"Sometimes you are just holding me. Sometimes we're talking." She stopped for a second, hesitating. She tried to look away from him but she just couldn’t. She was sure he could feel her pulse racing."Sometimes we don’t have clothes on…"

"I have those dreams too. And as much as I want them to come true, I just don’t feel it's the right time." He said softly but with a smile.

"Me either, that's why I didn't want to have this discussion. I didn’t want you to think I was pressuring you."

"You're not. And we needed to talk about this. It's part of our relationship."

"So, when do you think the right time will be?" She asked. He thought for a moment before responding.

"I'm sure we'll both know when it's time. As long as we both agree, just like we both agree that now is not the right time."

"But, there's plenty of other things we can do while we wait." The words slipped out before she could really think about what she was saying. She bit her bottom lip and he just gave a chuckle.

"I suppose there is. Just don’t feel you have to go out of your comfort zone to please me. I'm fine with just kissing." He said and leaned down to let his lips gently brush against hers.

"Yes but there is all kinds of kissing…" She whispered against his lips.

"Are you speaking from experience or intuition."

"Not from experience, I promise."

He smiled and pressed a quick peck on her lips.

"Good, then you can’t tell me I'm a bad kisser."

"Aang, you are an amazing kisser."

"Let's test that theory." He said in a husky tone and closed his eyes, pressing her lips to his. She happily accepted his lips crashing down on hers, the warmth from his lips making her insides melt. She closed her eyed and wrapped her arms around him, pulling him in. He took his hands off the rails and wound them around her waist, holding her close to him. She was the first to advance, slipping her tongue passed her lips and along his bottom lip. He shivered at the sensation but parted his lips to accept her, feeling like he was floating when their tongues met. They twisted around each other slowly, neither fighting for dominance, just enjoying the taste and feel fully unlike last time. Eventually Katara had to come up for air and broke contact, breathing shallow breaths, her pupils dilated. She wanted to dive back in for more but held herself back, taking things slowly. She smiled and so did he.

"Yes, you are the best kisser around. Positively." She said and touched her nose to his.

"It's a two person job. You have no idea how badly my dreams are going to torture me tonight after this…" He said and bit his lip.

"Mine too." She said and gave him a soft peck on the lips. She looked around and the sun had set. "Do you think you could take me home with Appa? He's much faster."

"Sure, come on." he said and laced his fingers with hers, his other hand digging into his robed for the whistle. They met the giant bison in the plaza, swiftly climbing aboard only to find that Amhi was right at Appa's side, ready to take flight.

"Those two have become completely inseparable." Katara said with a smile on her face.

"Yeah. They have each other. They need each other." He said looking to her and knowing where his thoughts were going. She smiled and looped her arms around his as they took flight, soaring across the bay and ending up at her door in no time. She unlocked the door and emptied her mail box, finding an ivory envelope addressed to her.

"What's that?

"I don’t know, come in and see." She said and walked into her house, turning the living room light on. She opened the envelope and read the card.

"Oh!" She said and held it to her chest.

"What? What is it?"

"It's a wedding invitation!" She said handing it to him.

"From who?"

"Sokka and Suki! The date is a month from now. Oh wow! She must be so busy! I wonder how they are going to do it!"

"What do you mean?" He asked, looking up from the ivory card.

"Well, they live here, in the United Republic so I don’t think it will be a traditional watertribe event. Nor an earth kingdom event. Maybe it will be a mix of both? I don't know, it's so exciting!"

Aang smiled.

"So you like weddings, huh?"

"I just love love to be honest. Anything to promote love after the horrible cruel world we have had to endure makes me happy."

Aang nodded and looked at the invitation.

"Sounds nice. I hope you have fun."

"Oh don’t be silly, you're coming too."

"I am?"

"Yes, look at the bottom. You'll be my plus one. Unless… you don’t want to go…"

"No no! I do, it's just… Sokka and I are not on the best terms right now."

"Don’t worry. They knew who my plus one would be. I'm sure everything will be fine."

"If you say so."

"I do." She said and took the invitation from him, setting it on the little table. She turned and gave him a kiss, just a brush along the lips.

"I love you."

"I will always love you." He said breathlessly, kissing her deeper. She let the kiss get the better of her, her pulse rushing and her knees weak. He broke contact before their tongues could touch again, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

"Good night."

"Good night, Aang." She said as he slipped out of her door. She smiled to herself and locked the door, turning off the light and walking back to her bedroom. She decided it was too late to take a bath so she just changed into her night gown, slipping under the covers and dreaming of her and Aang together.


	10. Bending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So I took a little time off from writing this story just to get a few things sorted out. I'm not the type of person to write a first draft of anything, so the previous chapters were all scrambled inside my head and I just wrote them. I've decided to take you all on another arc before we hit our final one together. This chapter is just a little bit of filler, but should blend well into the story. Hope you guys aren't hating me. This story is my favorite, hope it's yours too.

The ferry ride to Air Temple island, as it was now called, never took long. The boat held almost no one nowadays, all of the Acolytes chose to live on the island with Aang. And seeing as the island was self sufficient, they had no real reason to leave. She looked to her left and right, seeing one Acolyte she was familiar with and smiled to herself, walking toward the bow and sitting beside her. Katara gave the girl a small shock when she nudged her.

"Oh!" She said and held her chest. "Hello Master Katara." She breathed out softly, letting her eyes flutter open to the day's light as the ferry started to cross the bay,

"Good morning Cho. I didn’t mean to startle you." She said with a soft smile.

"No, it's okay. I was just deep in thought."

"Oh, anything interesting?" She asked, genuinely curious. The small woman let out a huff and blew a piece of hair out of her face, turning and letting her deep green eyes touch Katara's.

"It's a family problem. It's nothing you need to worry about…" She said and looked down to her hands, folded together in her lap. Katara, being who she is, laid a hand on Cho's folded set, making her look back to her. Katara smiled again and admired her extremely tiny figure, taking in her chestnut hair that was pulled into a very neat bun, aside from a few stray curls.

"Tell me." She said softly and squeezed her hands. Cho looked back up into her eyes and though just five years separated the two, she saw a Katara as a mother figure. Someone deeply caring. Someone compassionate. Someone she could trust. Before she knew it, her eyes were watering and her smile and turned into a frown. Before Cho could even ask for Katara's forgiveness she was pulled into the waterbenders arms. Cho wasn't sure what made her feel so safe with her but she just let out a sob, burying her head into Katara's chest. Katara cradled her head and patted her back, holding her close to her body.

"Cho, please don’t cry." She cooed to the younger woman, thankful for the fact that they were the only ones on the ferry. "Is something wrong at home? Did something happen between you and the other Acolytes?"

"No." She sniffed and pulled away from her. "It's nothing like that. It's the opposite."

"I'm sorry, I don’t follow you. What's going on?"

"It's my parents. They think I'm being brainwashed by Avatar Aang and the other Acolytes. They don’t understand that this way of life is my choice, and that even though I am turning my back on my old way of life it doesn’t mean they are bad parents." She relayed to the young waterbending master, more hot tears flowing down her cheeks. Cho reached up to dry her face with her yellow sleeves.

"Is that where you are coming from? You're parent's house?" Katara asked and put a hand on her shoulder. The woman nodded.

"Have you tried explaining how you feel? And that you are not the only one here who feels that way?"

"Of course I have. But every word that comes out of my mouth is either dishonoring them or hinting at being held against my will, according to my mother. She said that if I choose this way of life, then they never want to see me again. So I left." More tears started to come and Katara held her to her bosom, feeling very protective of this Acolyte she had come to know over the past few weeks.

"It's going to be okay. What you are doing is a remarkable thing. You are helping to rebuild an entire nation. If they can’t see that good the you are doing, and that you actually want this, then maybe it's a good thing you are on an island." She said softly, rubbing her back. Cho let out another sniff and nodded.

"I think you're right. I know this is the right thing for me and my life." She said thoughtfully.

"And you have Aang and all the other Acolytes to support you. And I support you too." She added with a smile, making her eyes light up underneath the pain she was in. As the ferry can to the dock both women stood and Katara took Cho's hand, walking with her off the boat and all the way to the courtyard, where Aang was waiting for her.

"Good morning Cho, Katara. Everything alright?" He asked as they approached him, seeing the young woman's eyes a little puffy. She nodded and let go of Katara's hand. Katara brought her hand up to rest on her back.

"Why don’t we go find Botan? She always has the best stories." Katara suggested.

"It's okay." She said and looked between Aang and Katara, feeling the pull they had towards each other. She felt she was interrupting their daily routine. "I can find her myself. She's usually in the library anyway. Thank you for your kind words Master Katara, Avatar Aang." She said and bowed softly, excusing herself and walking towards the temple. Katara took a few steps to follow her but an arm came around her middle and caught her. She turned her head and he was smiling, giving her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Where do you think you're going?" He asked with a small chuckle.

"To see Botan. She said she was going to show me the thirty-six levels of airbending mastery today in a book she found."

"I don’t think so." He said and pulled her against his body, burying his nose into her hair. He took in her scent and smiled, holding her around her waist with both hands. "I think you're starting to lose sight of yourself."

"What does that mean?" She said and turned in his arms, suddenly very close to his face and half exposed chest. She looked up at him and raised an eyebrow, waiting for her answer. He just gave her a soft but very long kiss, leaving a tingling sensation behind and making her almost forget her question.

"You've been hanging around here and learning things for two weeks. I think you are focusing too much on Air Nomad traditions, Master Katara." He said with that adorable half smile she loved. He took her hands in his, kissing the backs of each. "Come on." He said as he turned and let go of one of her hands, leading them back the way she came.

"Where are we going?" She asked, looking back at the temple.

"It's so hot today, don’t you think?" He said, as if he were making complete sense.

"What?" She asked, confused, but not pulling against him as they descended down the steps and walked along the dock.

"It's really hot for this early in the day. It's barely ten and the sun already feels fierce."

"Yeah, it's hot. It's summer. That's why I wore this." She said, pointing to her dress. She was wearing a pale blue dress that tied at the side and had two slits up the sides stopping where the high point of her waist was. The dress went down to her knees and was short-sleeved, each hem lined in white, including the v-neck of the dress. It was something she had from her younger years but still fit into. She did wear leggings under it to make it appropriate. She only brought it out on hot days.

"Yes I saw that. I love it. Compliments you well." He said and she blushed. "But more to the point, it's a perfect day…" He said and grabbed the hem of his sash and tugged it off his body, leaving him topless. "… for waterbending." He said with a smirk and folded his sash, placing it on the dock and looking to her.

"Really? That's what you want to do today?" She asked but was very distracted by the sight of him without a shirt. The morning light highlighting his pale chest, the way there were little shadows where his abs were, the lines of his shoulders and the muscular arms… she questioned if he was really twenty. She blushed and looked away, worried where her thoughts may lead if she stared for too long.

"Yes. I want us to waterbend. Together." He said and stepped towards her. "But I will give you a little incentive, since you don’t sound so excited."

"It's not that I'm not excited… I just have other things I could be doing."

"Katara. You are the most talented waterbender alive right now. Please don’t tell me you are losing your passion for the thing you are the best at." He begged and wrapped his arms around her, looking down at her with a look that could break any girl's heart. She rolled her eyes.

"Alright fine! But… just before we do this, just know that even though I love waterbending, I've never seen what you can do, so I'm not sure how it will look to you."

"Sweetie… stop." There is was again, him calling her a little pet name out loud. She was completely at his mercy. He backed away from her and motioned to her. "Amaze me"

She bit her lip and looked at the water on either side of the dock. She took a deep breath and tried to forget he was there, raising her arms in the air. At the same time, two large streams of water flew into the air on either side of her, twisting in a giant spiral up into the air as they followed her hand movements. She was lost. It was just her and the water, the push and pull of it completely taking her over. She spun and the water came down and surrounded her like a gravity-defying river, coursing around her body and moving with her arms. She moved her arms higher and pushed forward, making the water surround him and her in a figure eight. He smiled and lifted his arms, bending it around himself and sending it back to her. She hadn't anticipated him to join in. She sent the water back into the bay and smiled to him, taking a deep breath. Bending was an amazing release for her.

"That was perfection. I love seeing how you flow your energy through the water, you really become one with it. It's beautiful." He said and she blushed again. He was rather free with the compliments today.

"Okay Avatar. Your turn."

"Hmm?"

"The 'incentive' you spoke of?"

"Oh right!" He said and swirled his arms around him, capturing the air and compressing it into a ball. As ball swirled faster and faster he put it down and jumped on it, riding it up and down the dock. When he passed Katara she laughed as her hair and dress flew into the air. He looked absolutely ridiculous and amazing at the same time. She was giggling out of control when he was on his way back, jumping off the ball and letting it burst and flow over his and her body, her hair and dress flying in the opposite direction. he was smiling with a childlike pride and Katara was still laughing.

"Well? What do you think?"

"That was probably the most amazing thing I have ever seen you do." She said in between giggles. He came up and captured her in his arms, giving her a kiss.

"That's how I got my arrows."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I invented it. I call it the air scooter."

"Very nice."

"But we're not done yet." He said and sat on the edge of the dock, taking off his shoes.

"We're not? I thought you said it was perfect?"

"It was, but it was small time. Child's play." He said and put his shoes to the side, rolling up his pant legs as she scoffed.

"Well, you aren’t full of yourself at all." She said with her arms folded.

"That's not what I meant. Come with me." He said as he jumped off the dock, landing on a sheet of ice and turning back to her, looking up at her and holding out his hand for her.

"Where are we going now?" She asked reluctantly.

"Out to the bay. Where you can show me what you’re made of."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Only if you see it as hard, Sweetie." He said with the most playful smile he could manage. Katara was furious at his teasing and she huffed a little.

"Okay, but you'll regret it!" She said smiling and taking a strip of cloth from around her wrist and putting it in her teeth. She took her fingers and raked through her hair, taking a few moments to braid her hair, trying it off at the bottom. She threw the braid behind her and slipped her little flat shoes off. She was getting a little hot as the sun rose higher and she hooked her fingers in the waist band on her tights, stepping out of them and tossing them aside. Aang blushed and felt a little awkward watching her undress. The slits in her dress went up so high... so much of her long beautifully dark legs were showing. He cleared his throat and looked away. Katara jumped off the dock and landed on a sheet of ice beside him.

"Ladies first." he said and smiled, rubbing the back of his neck. She smiled and took off on the sheet of ice, leaving a huge wake for him to follow through. He laughed and propelled himself forward, following her out to the open ocean. The farther out she got, the bigger the wave beneath her got. She pushed herself up and off of the wave, spinning through the air and landing on the crest of another she was bending up, laughing the whole time. Aang followed her, enjoying himself. He hadn't realized how much she had truly been holding back; the waves both of them were on were immensely high, towering over the ocean line.

She bent a huge torrent of water off the wave that went in a loop, following the flow with her little board of ice and giving a loud shout of joy when she was upside down, following through until she was back upright and letting the wave fall and free-falling into the ocean. Aang circled the area where she went under and looked around, wondering when she was going to come back up. Before he knew what was happening, she came up under him and flipped his ice board, making him fall into the water. He surfaced quickly and looked around, seeing her laughing hysterically. He laughed and splashed at her but wasn't able to make the water connect with her. She raised herself in a spinning pillar of water, circling him once, still laughing, as he raised himself up. She took off towards the island again and he raced after her. It was hard to keep up with her, riding his own pillar as fast as he could until he finally caught up with her, lunging towards her and catching her around the waist as they fell into the ocean. Aang put a barrier of air around their faces and they stayed under water in their little pocket as he held her close, both of them laughing even harder. He kissed her lips through laughs and she returned it happily, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He broke their kiss and smiled, just staring deeply into her eyes. She grinned and floated in his hold, returning his gaze. They weren't sure how long they were like that, but eventually Aang spoke softly.

"We should head back."

She nodded and broke away from him, swimming to the surface as he watched her go, breaking the air pocket they had shared. She rode her own wave to the dock and beat him there, watching him come up and step easily up to the dock from the water.

"How was that?"

He smiled and came up to her, taking her up in his arms and giving her a spinning hug. She giggled and he put her down, kissing her forehead.

"That was the most fun I have seen you have, ever."

She smiled and rested her head against his wet chest, closing her eyes and listening to his heart beat. He rested his head on hers and held her close, letting the sun dry them off. his hands followed the bumps of her braid, going down to the small of her back.

"I like the braided look on you."

Katara blushed again and looked up to him.

"Even though it was just to get it out of the way?

"Yes. You are so beautiful, no matter what you do."

She blushed deeper and leaned up, kissing him softly on the lips. He cupped her face and became lost in her warm lips, not caring if anyone was watching or that they were completely soaked. By the time she pulled away, she needed to hold on to him for balance, feeling slightly lightheaded. She smiled and so did he, feeling her pull on him.

"I love you." She said quietly, looking into his silver eyes.

"I love you too." He responded as if it were second nature. He smiled and she backed away from him, pulling the water from her clothing and sending it back into the bay. He did the same and they both got dressed. As she slipped on her shoes she frowned a little at the sight of him putting his top back on. She just mentally shrugged and told herself she got a great view and will just have to search the archive of her brain for that mental picture later for more. Just as she was about to say something, a messenger hawk came and Aang held his arm out for her to land on. He grabbed the message from its back and unraveled it, starting to read it.

"Hey, it's for you. Sounds urgent." He said, passing it to her. She took the scroll and read it quickly.

_Katara,_   
_I can’t do this anymore! Sokka is being as helpful as ever and I am basically left planning this wedding on my own and I am about to crack! Please, please, please help me with this. I don't have anyone else who could possibly help besides you and the wedding is only two weeks away! Below is our new address. Please send me a message soon._   
_-Suki_

"Wow, poor Suki." She said, handing it back to him.

"What's wrong?" Aang asked.

"She's having wedding issues. I need to go. Can you please respond to that letter on the back and tell her I am on the way?"

"Sure. I guess I'll see you later then." He said, a little sad to see her go. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you so much Aang. You can come over later tonight if you want." She said as she ran to the edge of the dock.

"Hey! Aren't you going to wait for the ferry?" He called to her.

"No… I don’t think I need it anymore!" She smiled and called behind her, jumping from the dock and propelling herself towards he house, Aang smiling as he watched her go.

…

 

Later that night she came home and was completely exhausted. Having to calm Suki was one thing, but as for the wedding… Suki had almost none of it done. They had gotten through a large chunk today be she would certainly be busy for the next couple days.

She sighed as she unlocked her front door and closing it behind her once she was safe beyond the threshold. She slipped off her shoes and went straight to the bathroom. She untied her dress and let it fall to the floor as she ran a cool bath for herself. She added her favorite bath soap to the water, the one that was made with milk, honey, and lemon grass. She inhaled and smiled, loving the smell of her bath. Katara slipped her leggings down and undid her bindings, throwing them in a pile she swore she would take care of later, but knew the water would make her forger everything. She untied the ribbon around her hair and let her hair go free, finger combing it out until the bath was full. With the water stopped she lowered herself down into the water and relaxed, taking her time in washing her body and hair.  
When she was wrinkled from the water, she pulled the plug and slowly stood, grabbing a towel and drying off her body. She looked in the mirror in a moment of vanity, admiring her own body. It had been a while since she had done such serious waterbending. She touched her stomach and wondered if she needed to do more training, seeing as her skin only hinted at muscle. She closed her eyes and ran the towel through her hair, turning off the light and blindly walking from the bathroom to her room, all the while running the towel through her hair; a part of her that never likes to dry.

She heard someone clear their throat as she stopped in her doorway, eyes popping open. There, sitting on her bed, was Aang. She was happy to see him, but wondered why he looked so uncomfortable. He was completely red and looking away from her. then it hit her. She was completely naked accept for the towel in her hand. She made a little squeak and backed into the hallway and around the corner.

"Sorry… you said I could come over later… I guess you forgot."

She held the towel to her chest and leaned against the wall.

"I'm sorry… I didn’t mean to forget Sweetie…" She said, and blushed. She had never called him anything but his name. "The wedding stuff just completely wiped my mind…"

"It's okay… Do you want me to leave?" He asked down the hall.

"No! No. Just… can you toss my night gown out onto the hall?" She asked and then heard him shuffling in her room. Soon an arm came from out, holding the little silk night gown. She took it from him and his arm disappeared back into the bedroom, slipping it over her naked figure and tossing the towel into the bathroom. She walked into the room and found him standing against the wall. She blushed and sat down on her bed and crossed her legs. He pressed his lips together and slowly walked over to her, sitting beside her. They didn’t look at each other, just sitting in a strange, embarrassing silence. When the silence was deafening, she asked him a question.

"Did you come over for anything in particular."

"No. I just wanted to see you." He said softly. She chuckled darkly.

"Well, you got to see me. All of me. I guess you got what you wanted."

"Trust me, that was too much too soon." He said and he grabbed her hand, their gazes meeting. She was blushing still but smiled, bumping her shoulder into his. "Next time I’ll just wait for you to get home, then come over."

"How did you get in anyway?"

"Oh, yeah… you should really lock your windows."

They both giggled and she held his hand, looking back up into his eyes.

"Will you stay?"

"Stay the night?"

She nodded and bit her lip.

"I sleep better when you are here."

"I sleep better with you in my arms too." He said and stood, taking his sash and shoes off, leaving them over in the corner with his staff. She crawled to the head of her bed and slipped herself under the covers, watching him walk towards her. He stood at the side of the bed, trying to decide if it was okay to sleep on top of the covers or under them. Katara sensed his dilemma and pulled the covered back for him.

"You sure?"

"Yeah." She said and bit her lip, turning her back to him and laying down. He crawled under the covers and wrapped an arm around her waist, giving her hair a kiss before covering them up together. Just as she was about to fall asleep, he whispered to her.

"You are the most breath taking human on this planet… and I am so incredibly lucky to be with you…"

She stirred and turned to face him, giving him a loving kiss before falling asleep in his arms.


	11. Festivities

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Okay guys. Here we go. We are diving into the arc. It gets dark, but it's necessary for character development. Just hang in there. It starts out slow but it will pick up. I am sorry for such a long wait, I just wanted everything to be perfect. Thank you so much for your reviews. I am going through an incredibly rough period in my life and your words are so kind and lift my heart. This year we lost our home and my husband lost his job. Altogether not the best year, writing has helped me through it. So… Thank you.

Gentle sunlight filtered in through the window, the shafts crossing their bodies as they lay tangled together in the sheets. Aang had found himself victim of her pouty lips more than once in the past two weeks when asked if he would stay with her. He always gave in, finding it incredibly hard to say no. Waking up next to her just felt so right to him. He almost felt bad, like he was taking advantage of her. The truth was she needed him as much as he needed her. He looked at her in his arms, her hair a wild mess around the pillows and her face, draping over her shoulders and down her back. Her lips were parted and he watched her chest rise and fall, slow and steady. He smiled and brushed a lock of hair out of her face, giving her cheek a small kiss. She stirred softly and stretched, turning away from him. He laughed quietly and took her in his arms, turning her back to him.

"Hey sleepy," he cooed at her. Her eyes opened slowly, looking around the bed and up into his eyes, instantly smiling.

"Morning," she responded, looking over to the clock on her night stand. It was early, just after seven. She let her head fall back onto her pillow and closed her eyes again, trying to decide if she was getting up or not. Aang started to untangle his legs from hers and she gripped him with her own set.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asked with a little smirk, placing a hand on his chest. He just laughed and tightened his grip around her.

"I've been up since the sun. I'm getting up."

"No, you're going to stay right here and keep me warm." She said and looped her arms around his neck.

"Katara, it's summer."

"Then to keep me company while I sleep."

"Sweetie, we have this discussion every morning. I need to get up." He stated and tried to pull her off of him, even though he loved the attention of his sleepy sweetheart. "Besides, you should get up. It’s kind of a special day."

Katara just looked at him with curious eyes, waiting for some kind of hint.

"Sokka and Suki? It's their wedding today."

She gasped and let go of him, jumping out of bed. She padded clumsily to her kitchen where she had her calendar and a line of X’s led up to that day's date, circled with a heart. It was indeed their wedding day.

"No, no, no, no, this can't be right!" She said with a high level of anxiety. Aang heard her and came to her, looking at the calendar.

"It's today, what's wrong?"

She heaved and tangled her fingers into her hair.

"What's wrong? Everything! Nothing has been practiced yet! We haven't gone over a seating arrangement, the decor isn't put up in the ballroom that's rented out, oh there is so much wrong!" She said as her hands streaked down her face. "I need to get ready this second!" She shouted and was practically running down her tiny hallway towards her bedroom when a knock at her front door came. "Can you please get that?" She asked as she ran into her room, starting to get ready for the day. He sighed and walked towards the door, rubbing the back of his neck. When he opened the door he smiled widely.

"Well, speak of the bride." He smiled as he looked upon Suki, wearing a simple, short green dress.

"Oh, hello Aang," she said and blushed, him being in just pants, "I wasn't expecting you to be here so early." She said and raised an eyebrow curiously. "I didn’t know you and Katara were... so close," she said and smirked, walking into Katara's humble home.

He closed the door behind her, hearing her implications.

"Suki, it's not like that," he tried to defend, turning away from the door,

"Hey, you don’t have to explain yourself. You're both adults." She said now completely smiling, crossing her arms.

"No, I don’t want you to think this is something it isn't. We're just sleeping together."

"Oh? So it's not making love? It's just sex?" She inquired, a little worried for her friend's relationship status. Just then Katara came around the corner, dragging her fingers through her hair and pulling it back into a wolf tail.

"No Suki, we literally sleep together. We cuddle and kiss and just hold each other." She said, completely unembarrassed. Suki blushed again, feeling bad for even thinking Aang could be that type of guy.

"Aw, that's so cute." She said looking from her to Aang, who was rubbing the back of his neck. "You two are adorable together. I expect impeccable dancing tonight from you both." She said and walked over to Katara, still in her night gown.

"Yes Ma'am." Aang said and walked back to Katara's room, getting dressed. When he had his staff and sash and beads in place, he slipped on his shoes and stood outside the bathroom door, watching Katara do some elaborate hair work on Suki while she sat on a stool.

"I'm gonna get going… unless you needed me to do her make-up." He said with a laugh. Katara stuck her tongue out at him but Suki spoke up.

"Actually, could you meet us at the ballroom in like an hour? We'll need help putting up the higher decorations, and it would be so easy for you."

"Sure, I can help out. See you two then."

"Bye sweetie." Katara called from the bathroom as he left. When the front door was shut, Suki spoke up.

"So… he's sleeping here then?"

"Yes." She said simply, concentrated on the intricate work of styling her friend's hair.

"Do you two sleep together a lot?"

She hesitated, lacing the auburn pieces together. "Don’t say it like that. You make it sound so dirty."

"Well, you’re not exactly covering yourself up. I mean you're not even wearing your bindings."

"I can't sleep like that! You know that."

"I know; it's just odd that you two are having a cuddlefest every night and not taking advantage of that time alone to do other things. I mean, do you even want him that way?"

She pinned a piece to Suki's head and sighed.

"Of course I do. And I know he does too. It's just not the right time."

Suki was quiet for a while, her mind wandering from Katara and Aang's relationship to her own. She was making a huge step today and even though the planning had been going on for some time now, the reality of it all was starting to sink in. She sighed softly, feeling her stomach flipping.

"Are you nervous?" Katara murmured.

"Just a little. It's stupid, don’t you think?"

"Why would I think that?"

"It's not like anything will be different for us after today. It's just a title…"

She was quiet as she pinned another strand in place.

"Is that how you really feel?"

"I don’t know, maybe. It's just that we have been together for so long, I just feel like he is a part of me and that today only enforces that. I'm happy; don’t get me wrong, I just don’t see how our relationship is going to change."

"It will though." Katara replied, pulling the hair out of Suki's eyes and wrapping it around and rolling it into a bun.

"How do you know?"

"Because marriage is sacred, something special. It's a commitment between two people, saying that they love each other and will continue to love each other. I've seen it change people for the better and I think it will do the same for you and Sokka." She promised and gave her a hug from behind around her shoulders. Suki's hand lingered on her arm and she smiled.

"Thanks Katara."

"You're welcome. You're done, you can look at it." She responded, patting her on the shoulders and letting go. Suki stood from the stool and looked into the mirror. Her auburn hair was pulled back and into a bun surrounded by spiraling braids that formed a sphere around the bun.

"Oh Katara… it's so beautiful!" She gasped, turning from the mirror to her friend, giving her a big hug. "Thank you so much!" She mouthed into her shoulder.

"You're welcome. Now, let me go get dressed and we can head over to the ballroom."

….

By the time Aang showed up a good portion of the decorations were set up. He walked through the large doors and looked at what was usually an empty space now split into three sections; the right for the ceremony filled with chairs and a small platform, the left filled with tables for eating and chatting, and the middle was left as a dance floor. There was green and gold and blue and silver everywhere he looked. He found the girls sitting at a table laughing. He smiled and walked over to them. Katara noticed him and stood from the table, both of them caught in each other's gaze. They were both in formal clothes, him in red and sunset orange robes that flowed around him gracefully while she was in a shortened navy blue dress, sleeveless, with a beautiful wide scoop neck. Her hair was done in a similar way to Suki's, just two small braids coming from her hairline and pinned back into her bun. She even had make-up on, smoky navy color on her eyes and a cherry red on her lips. As he walked up to her he wrapped his arms around her waist, giving her a kiss on the lips.

"Hello Handsome." She whistled.

"You should see yourself." He murmured back, catching her lips again in his.

Suki cleared her throat and the two parted, looking away from each other.

"Right! Well, you two got a lot done in an hour." He said, looking around.

"Yes, well, everything but the lanterns." Suki amended and gestured to a couple tables behind her, littered with both small and a few very large blue and green lanterns. "The little ones go down the aisle over there and above the tables here, the big ones go above the dance floor. Alternating colors of course. We've also got streamers that need to go from the center of the lanterns over the dance floor to the walls. We left the high jobs for you." She added with a smile. He looked around and tried to envision what it would look like and nodded.

"It's going to be beautiful. I'll get to work then." He agreed and kissed Katara on the cheek, grabbing some lanterns and walking to the other side of the room. Suki laughed when he was gone and Katara turned to her.

"What's funny?"

"Oh nothing. Just you two."

Katara raised an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It's just cute that you two still make goo-goo eyes at this point. I mean I could cut the tension between you two with a dagger."

"Oh please, like you don’t look at Sokka sometimes and the world doesn't disappear."

Suki laughed and stood from the table. "Of course I do. I just feed the hunger beneath my skin." She purred with an evil grin playing upon her lips. Katara rolled her eyes and walked over to her, grabbing lanterns.

"Can we drop the subject? We are not like you and Sokka. We can control ourselves. We're waiting for it to be right." She defended.

"Alright, I'll say no more." She said and grabbed a few lanterns.

"Let’s help Aang with this part before people start arriving tonight."

…

As the sun hung low in the sky, the lanterns inside were lit, giving the ballroom a warm, intimate glow. Upstairs Sokka and Suki were preparing themselves for the most important day of their lives up until this point. The ceremony was to happen at seven, then food and fun. It was a quarter after six now and people from all over were showing up. Aang and Katara were happy to usher people in for the couple, seeing faces that sometimes only Katara knew, sometimes only Aang knew, and sometimes neither of them knew. Aang and Katara were very happy to see one in particular. A porcelain face with black hair and pale green eyes dressed in a beautiful light green dress that had slits on the sleeves. She wore sole-less shoes, making her look presentable and appropriate without being totally blind.

"Toph!" She squeaked and the young woman came up to her.

"Hello love birds." She grinned.

"Sifu." Aang bowed to her. She just punched him in the arm. "Ow, what was that for?"

"For not visiting me. This is our first encounter since you moved here. You're quite rude."

"Me, rude? You just punched me. I should tell the force to put you behind a desk and give you paperwork."

"Very funny Twinkletoes. I'm sure that blind people do the best paperwork."

Katara laughed at their back and forth.

"And don’t even get me started on you Sugar Queen. You haven't visited me either."

"I'm sorry, life has been busy."

"Yeah yeah, young love and all that." She sneered lovingly, crossing her arms. She bid them goodbye and took her seat near the front so she could hear.

Then came two faces Katara would recognize anywhere. She ran up and almost tackled the man, but be stood firm and immovable, giving a laugh as he wrapped his arms around her.

"Dad! I'm so happy to see you!" She laughed; looking up into those light blue eyes she had missed. She looked to her left and saw an older woman. "And you too Gran-Gran!" She added and hugged her grandmother.

"We wouldn't miss this for the world." Hakoda beamed with joy for his son. Aang took over ushering people in so she could visit with her relatives to the side.

"It's so nice to come up and see you Katara. You are as beautiful as ever my dear."

"Aw, thanks."

"No, I mean it. Say son, wouldn’t it be a shame to come all this way, just to have to come back again for another wedding?"

"What are you getting at?" Hakoda questioned his mother, unaware of her evil scheme.

"Why don't we find someone for our special little waterbender to marry while we are here? Save a trip?"

"Mother, stop this. I thought we ended this conversation when we reached the dock." He replied, giving an apologetic look towards his daughter, who was blushing.

"What about that nice looking young Firelord? He's always been good to you." She cackled and poked her ribs.

"Gran, stop it. That would be so weird. He's like my brother. I am perfectly capable of picking a man on my own!" She argued and crossed her arms, the feeling of déjà vu settling in.

"That's alright dear; I'll find you a nice strong young man by the end of the night. Don't you worry about it." She said and walked off to get a seat.

"Gran! No, wait! Ugh." She groaned and Hakoda came up to her.

"Don’t worry; I'll keep an eye on her, make sure she's distracted."

"Thanks Dad. I really have missed you."

"I've missed you so much." He lamented and pulled her into another strong embrace. "I am so glad you are safe." He whispered into her hair. She smiled and pulled back.

"Why wouldn’t I be safe? I mean, yeah Zuko has been setting me up on dates that seemed a little shady but-" She said with a small laugh. Everyone knew she could take care of herself.

"Wait, Zuko? Again?" He groaned and shook his head. "But that's not why I was worried."

"Then why? What's wrong?" She asked and he dropped his arms. He looked from her face and looked around; spotting someone he desperately needed to talk to.

"Not now, it will ruin the wedding. I'll talk to you later, I need to go. Big day!" He rushed and kissed her forehead. She had a suspicious scowl and she watched as her father walked over to Aang, have a very short conversation with him, and then they bowed to each other and parted. She huffed and made a mental note to talk to Aang later about that. She continued to help people get seated until about ten minutes until seven, checking back in with Aang at the back of the room.

"Everyone is seated, we just need the couple now,” she said in a hushed tone to him. He nodded and looked around.

"Should we go check on them?"

"Probably." She nodded and crept her way up the stairwell in the back, walking up to the room Suki was in. She was about to knock but she turned to Aang.

"Will you check on my brother?"

"What? Why me?"

"Because someone has to and I think it should be a guy!" She hissed at him.

"I don’t know what to say to him, I'm not married or even engaged!" He argued quietly. She was about to retort when she saw her father coming up the stairs.

"Dad, will you go check on Sokka?"

Hakoda looked from the Avatar to his daughter, wondering why he was up there with her.

"Sure, I was just coming up to share some words of wisdom." He said slowly, his eyes not leaving Aang until he walked up to the door. He knocked and was asked to enter, closing the door behind him.

"Okay, he's good. I'm going back down." He whispered and kissed her on the cheek, walking back down the stairs quietly. Katara sighed and knocked on the door.

"It's open." She heard softly from behind the wooden door. Katara slipped inside and closed the door behind her. Suki was sitting on a simple chair in front of an antique vanity. Her timeless kimono was emerald green with a gold obi, her train about two feet long. Her hair was still as perfect as it was this morning and her warrior paint was worn with pride. A smile played on her lips as she looked at Katara in the mirror.

"Hey."

"Hey. You okay?" Katara asked, coming over and taking the chair next to her.

"I think so. Just nerves," she paled and tried to steady her heart racing beneath all the silk.

"You look beautiful."

"Thank you." She smiled, clutching the little bouquet of pink and white. Her dark blue eyes searched Katara's ocean blue for reassurance.

"You will be fine. Don’t even start second guessing."

"I'm not. I just wonder if he is."

"How could he possibly?"

"I'm no Yue… He loved her so much that he made sure a bay was named after her. I mean… how can I compete with that?" She murmured and looked down.

"Suki, you can't."

"Thanks, that makes me feel a whole lot better." She scoffed.

"No I mean she is not your competitor. Sokka loved her very much, but when she gave her life to become the moon spirit, she took a part of Sokka with her. He failed to protect her from that ending and he was broken. He wasn't sure how he could love someone if he couldn't protect them. And then you came into his life. You, the strong Kyoshi Warrior who has protected him and handled yourself with complete confidence. He needed exactly you. You fit into his life like you were made for him. He may be the brains, but you've got the will power to execute a plan. You've proved that during the war and even with this wedding. "

Suki smiled again and looked back to her friend.

"Now let's go get you two hitched so you can spend every moment together!"

Suki laughed and they both stood, lacing fingers together and walking out into the hallway. They met Hakoda and he smiled looking at the blushing bride, though you couldn't tell with all the paint.

"Hakoda," she smiled.

"Come here." He said and opened his arms wide for her. She came forward and accepted his embrace, a tear threatening to streak out of the corner of her eye. "I guess I have two favorite daughters now."

"Dad stop, you'll make her cry." Katara said, already on the verge of tears herself.

"Can't have that…" He said and pressed a kiss to her hair. She smiled again.

"Is Sokka downstairs?" Suki asked.

"Yes. Just waiting for you dear."

"How is he?" She wondered, still nervous.

"He's fine. A little scared but I talked to him and now. To quote him, 'Nothing in life comes freely, even happiness. You have to take action to make your own happiness'. "

Suki found resolve in those words and held her head higher, her flowers in both hands and almost ran down the stairs, followed closely by the father-daughter team. She stood at the base of the stairs and her body slowly carried her forward until she was standing at the end of the aisle.

Katara and Hakoda took their places in the back and everyone turned in their seats, all eyes on Suki. She was only watching one thing; the painted warrior at the other end of the aisle. His bright blue eyes shined in the lantern light and his light blue clothing echoed the sky earlier in the day. He was smiling and she was unaware of the hundreds of people around her, his gaze pulling her forward. He wore his paint proudly, just like she did and she was so happy they had decided on a warrior wedding; what they were at heart. He held her hand out to her and she took his hand, walking up to the platform and kneeling on the two cushions set out for them. They faced each other and the official started to speak. After his speech and their murmured acceptances of each other they stood and faced each other. All too soon the time came for their kiss. The kiss that would seal their marriage. Suki threw her arms around his neck and dropped her flowers, he leaned down and fully captured her lips in his own, earning a few hoots and whistles from the crowd. It took them a while to separate and when they did, they just stared at each other, smiling and laughing.

People started to clap and they turned to their friends and families, holding each other's hands.

…

The party had been going on for some time. Meals had been finished. The first dances were out of the way and the band was playing exciting loud music. Wine was being passed around like it was free. Some of the older folks had left, leaving their gifts beside the bridal table and giving their congratulations. It was mainly just friends and family left at that point.

Suki and Sokka were whispering to each other in the corner between make out sessions. Katara overheard Suki say something to him.

"Sokka stop, you'll smear my paint."

"Come with me and I'll smear it all over." He said and she laughed, being dragged out of the ballroom early and letting everyone else enjoy the festivities. Katara laughed and downed her fourth glass of wine. She was a lightweight, her face hot from being drunk. Aang sat with her, only having two glasses and looked to her.

"What's so funny?"

"The happy couple gave us the slip. Look." She pointed to their empty table.

"It's a good thing they hired someone to clean this place up after tonight. Hey, I think you've had enough." He advised as she grabbed the bottle.

"Oh come one! One more won't hurt!" She contested and poured herself a glass, then him one. She raised her glass to him.

"To love." She gestured; her cheeks entirely flushed.

"To love." He laughed and clinked his glass with hers, watching her down her last glass of the night. He took his time with his, drinking it slowly over a few minutes.

"I guess I should have figured it out sooner, huh?" A voice behind them came. Aang turned to see Hakoda standing with softness in his eyes. "You two. You're together.” Katara didn’t seem to hear her father, looking out onto the dance floor and laughing at someone who had slipped.

"Yes. I'm sorry we didn’t take the time to tell you."

"You don’t need to apologize, she should have written me, but what's done is done. I'm happy for you both. I know you'll take care of her. Just…" He laid a hand on Aang's shoulder. "Keep her safe and make her happy." He warned and patted him.

"I will, I promise." He affirmed.

"I'll see you tomorrow afternoon Avatar Aang." He walked off toward Katara's gran. Aang took in the rest of his wine and was tugged on by his sweetheart.

"Aang, let's dance again!"

"Are you sure?" He asked and smiled, putting down his glass. "We've danced so much already."

"But you're such a good dancer and it's fun and listen to this song, it's so upbeat, come on!" She slurred together, pulling him up from his chair and racing towards the crowded dance floor. He laughed as she twirled under his arms, dancing so playfully and looking so seductive at the same time, it was almost unbearable. He started to feel a little lightheaded from the alcohol and rested his forehead against hers once he caught her. He felt like his skin was burning and hers was no better. She was swaying with him with her eyes closed and started to chuckle for no reason. He knew she was far gone.

"Come on." He mumbled and took her hand.

"Where are we going?" She practically yelled.

"I'm taking you home."

"Aw, but the real party just began!"

"Katara, trust me. We need to get you home before you make a fool of yourself."

"No I won't!" She tried to fight and he pressed onwards, pulling her off the dance floor and towards the doors, her arguing the whole way. Aang looked over his shoulders and saw Hakoda sitting at a table, laughing at his daughter's drunken display and saluted Aang, wishing him luck in trying to tame such a stubborn waterbender. He rolled his eyes and pushed the door open, the cool night air hitting his face and giving him some relief from the heat inside the ballroom.

"Fine!" She finally spat out, admitting defeat. "I'll go home, but you have to stay with me!"

"That was the plan."

"Okay then." She said in a softer tone, taking his hands and walking to her house. Somewhere along the path they had stopped and kissed a few times. A few times he had pressed her body against a cool stone building; sometimes she dragged him into a dark alley. Either way, they stumbled through her front door lips locked. Aang kicked the door closed and she pressed him against the door, easily undoing his outer robes and letting them fall to the floor. He slipped out of his shoes and she kicked hers off quickly, giving him a very heated kiss and then backing away, walking to the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" He asked, walking into her house further in just his sash and pants.

"It's a habit of mine!" She shouted, getting into the pantry and pulling out the red box he had given her so many weeks ago. She came back into the living room and grabbed him by his sash.

"Come with me!" She chuckled and stumbled a bit, walking back to her bedroom. She let go of him at the doorway and sat on her made bed, pulling her legs up and setting the box in front of her. She motioned for him to come over to the bed and he did, rubbing the back of his neck as he sat down. She opened the box and only two strawberries were left.

"You and I are going to finish this box off together. I like to eat one on special days and today is very special." She said, her face completely red.

"Yes it is. It was a beautiful ceremony." He agreed softly, smiling at her. She laughed and took one for herself, laying back and eating it slowly.

"I thought they were never going to stop sucking face!" She complained with her mouth full, laughing and chewing at the same time. Aang ate half of his in one bite.

"Yeah, I thought that kiss was never going to end." He said, his mouth full too.

"They make a good couple though; they are perfect for each other." She amended, taking another bite. They ate in silence and she finished hers, leaning back up and sliding the box off the bed. Aang swallowed his last bit and smiled to her as their gazes locked. She laughed and put a hand on her lap.

"What?" He asked, chuckling with her.

"You have chocolate all over your face." She laughed harder and crawled towards him, feeling so out of balance.

"Where?" he laughed, trying to lick it off.

"Here." She said with a seductive smile and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down into her. She licked the chocolate off of him and he blushed deeper than he had been. Both of them felt flames inside of them flicker on and he turned his head, catching her lips in his again. She moaned softly and pulled him back with her, laying down with him over her. He let his tongue explore her mouth lazily, the alcohol really taking effect on both of them. She gripped his body with her thighs and his breath was coming short. He lifted up from her and took off his sash, feeling extremely hot, and tossing it into the corner. Before he knew it she was tossing her dress over to the corner and he was tracing the lines of her body, covered only by thin white bindings. Katara took her hair out of her bun and let the braids spray around her pillows. She pulled him back down and their make out session continued, him trailing his tongue down the side of her neck and making her moan his name; a sound so incredible to him, he would give anything to make her do it again. His hand slipped up her side and over a covered breast, palming her and squeezing her flesh. It enticed another raspy groan from her lips, her back arching into him.

Somewhere in all of this, a voice in his head told him to stop and he pulled back.

"What's wrong?" She slurred.

"We can't do this. This isn't right."

"Aang, I want you." She admitted, giving him bedroom eyes that could have thrown his argument out the window had he had just one more glass of wine. "Baby please, take me." She purred to him, licking her lips.

"I want you too, Spirits I want you so badly Katara. But not like this. It has to be special. Drunk after your brother's wedding is not special. You deserve better than that."

She huffed in frustration and looked away from him. He framed her face and tilted her to look back at him.

"I love you Katara. And I think this would be disrespectful. We can only do this once. It has to be perfect. Please understand." He pleaded with her. She was silent, her eyes drifting open and closed.

"Just… stay." She said softly.

"I promise." He cooed and rolled off her, letting her curl into his side. He kissed her tenderly on the lips and she whispered her love for him before falling into a deep sleep. He wrapped his arms around her and pulled the covers over them, knowing he made the right choice.


	12. Dark News

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: So here we have some awkward dealings from the previous night. Alcohol is a powerful thing people. And it can make people do some really stupid things. Some of you were not happy with how the last chapter ended. Well, sometimes things like that happen. Here is the continuation of this story, we see the new arc start to take shape. I hope to finish this story this year. Disclaimer - I own nothing.

Katara had been awake for some time but she hadn't opened her eyes yet, the morning light coming through her eyelids already unkind. Her muscles felt stiff and there was a mild shooting pain just behind her forehead. She was laying on her back, the covers skewed and kicked off the bed in the night. Her braids were still in her hair, her makeup smudged and in just her bindings. She slowly opened up her eyes and found herself alone in her bed. She wondered if she was supposed to be alone or not. Snippets of the previous night swam through the fog of her mind. She remembered the ceremony, lots of wine, dancing. She remembered images of walking home with Aang, and something about strawberries.

Her mouth fell slack and she smacked her lips together, her mouth drier than she Si Wong desert. She sighed and spread her arms to help her sit up, one hand falling upon a piece of paper as she pushed herself up slowly. She looked over and grabbed the paper, seeing it was a note from Aang.

_Katara,_   
_I have a meeting with your father at Air Temple Island today at noon. I will come back over when I am done. Also, I'm sorry I allowed things to get so out of hand and I hope you can forgive me. I love you,_   
_Aang_

She reread the letter at least half a dozen times, trying hard to remember the details of last night. Eventually the picture came together. Make out sessions against buildings and in dark alleys. The strawberry incident. Taking off her clothes and begging him to make love to her, despite their agreement. Him fighting with himself to say no. She grabbed her head and groaned, completely embarrassed. She had made such a fool of herself, and yet he was apologizing. But something else about the note was nagging her.

What could her father and Aang possibly be meeting about?

She got off the bed slowly and made her way to the bathroom, checking the clock in the hallway. It was half passed eleven. She wondered how long he had been gone, being the early riser he was. She decided to herself that she was going to find out what this meeting was about and why she was being left out. Katara had enough time to take a quick bath and she needed one, covered in dried sweat and her face and hair a mess. She stripped down in the bathroom and ran the water, filling the tub and quickly getting in. She let loose the braids and washed her face and hair, leaving her body for last. This was a purely functional affair, no time to relax in the water. Her head pounded still and she used some of the water to heal herself, feeling her headache disappear after a few moments.

When she was deemed clean, she got out and drained the tub, bending most of the water out of her hair, of which was being unruly today. She sighed and braided it down her back, leaving her signature twin hair loops out. She dried her body off with a towel and threw it and her bindings in a the hamper. She dressed quickly in her shorter tunic, knowing it was hot outside. She was slipping her shoes on and running out the door by ten minutes till noon, giving her just enough time to get to Air Temple Island.

She reached the edge of the bay, standing on the dock, and realized the ferry was already gone. She huffed and jumped off the dock, propelling herself forward and landing on a thick blade of ice, riding out waves she made towards the island. She laughed a bit as she passed the ferry, going much faster than the boat. It didn’t take her long to reach the other dock, wasting no time as she jumped up onto the platform and ran towards the temple.

Aang and Hakoda were inside Aang's office, seated comfortably with some tea.

"It must be serious if you are coming to me and not Chief Arnook." Aang spoke softly, looking across his cup to Hakoda. Hakoda sighed and put his cup down.

"I don’t think this is something that he can help with." He declared slowly, choosing his words carefully. Aang nodded and set his cup down.

"Please, tell me everything. From the beginning."

"It started on the new moon a few months ago -"

He was interrupted by the loud bang of Aang's office door bursting open, Katara standing in the doorway and breathing heavy.

"Katara!" Hakoda exclaimed and both men stood.

"Sweetie, what's wrong?" Aang said, and then blushed, realizing her father was right there, but it just came out so easily.

"What's wrong? You two are having a meeting without me!" She said and walked into the office, closing the door.

"Katara, this has nothing to do with you." Hakoda said as sternly as he could without being cold. "This is between Avatar Aang and myself."

"Why? Whatever it is, it has something to do with home. Something's wrong."

"This is your home. You are safe here." He said, brushing aside her keen intuition.

"Please dad, whatever it is, I can help. I can't stand thinking that my people are in danger and I am here doing nothing about it."

"That's why I am here with the Avatar. He can hopefully fix this so you and everyone else are safe again."

"Hakoda, please." Aang spoke up and they both looked to him. "Your daughter and I have been through a lot together in a short amount of time, maybe there is something she can do to help too."

Katara gave him an appreciative smile, of which he returned, Hakoda sighing as she walked towards them, taking a seat next to her father.

"I just don’t want you to get hurt." He tried to fight back.

"I'm a tough girl, I can handle myself." She said and ended the conversation on that note, her father displeased.

"Please, you were saying?" Aang encouraged him to continue. Hakoda cleared his throat and started over.

"A few months ago on the last new moon of winter, that's when everything went wrong." He said solemnly, the young couple waiting for him to continue. "We found one of our hunters washed up on the shore near the village. His weapons were missing and he had been dead for some time. He had told his family he had gone on a hunting trip the week previously, so he was not exactly missing."

"That doesn’t really sound suspicious." Katara said. "Hunters get overpowered all the time. Are we sure it wasn't a polar bear dog attack? Or a pack of wolves?"

Hakoda shook his head.

"No, the circumstances surrounding his death point to foul play. It's all in how he died. There were no wounds on his body and no signs of drowning. We took him to our healer and what they found didn’t make sense."

"What did they find?" Aang asked. Hakoda hesitated.

"His lungs weren't intact."

"What?" They both balked.

"It was like he was torn apart from the inside. No animal can do that. It's not natural."

"How many men have been found like this?"

"At least half a dozen."

Aang closed his eyes and shook his head. "Were there any connections between them?"

"No, some were alone, some were in small groups. No enemies either, just normal men. All of them were out hunting, that's the only connection."

"Why did you wait so long to come and see me?"

"I didn’t mean to. The one happened first, then the last all happened within a few days of each other. And each was worse than the last. But it's so strange because it's stopped in our territory."

"What do you mean, in your territory?"

"Whatever or whoever is doing this, they've moved from the Southern Watertribe, skipped over the Patola Mountains, and went straight for Whaletail Island. We warned them when the attacks stopped. Before I left for the wedding, I received a report back from just outside the Chin village; same method of death, two men." His voice fell at the last sentence. Aang stayed quiet for a few moments, taking it all in.

"This needs to stop. I have to make this right." He said quietly, standing and walking over to a map on the wall, tracing the pattern of the assailants path.

"It's either headed towards Ba Sing Se, or straight here." Katara said, standing and walking over to him.

"We can't let either happen." He looked to her and frowned. "Looks like we're taking another field trip."

"To head it off." Katara nodded and Hakoda sighed behind them.

"Katara, I really don’t want you going."

"Dad-" She was interrupted by a hand on her shoulder.

"Hakoda, Katara is one of the most powerful benders I have ever encountered. And while I don’t want her in danger either, I can't protect her if I leave her. I think the best thing is that she comes with me."

She smiled and looked to him and he looked into her eyes.

"Can you promise me you will protect her?"

"I guarantee it. On my life, I will shield her from harm. I would never let anything happen to her." He said without looking away from her.

"Aright, then I guess this meeting is over." He said and smiled to them. "Now down to the burning question; how long have you two been together?" He folded her arms and Katara blushed.

"A few months now." She said quietly.

"How did you two meet? The council?" He asked.

"Zuko." They both said and laughed.

"Zuko? Again?"

Katara laughed at his reaction and came up to hug her father. She looked up to him. "You have to leave tomorrow don't you?"

"Yes, but I think you do too."

"Yeah, we should leave first thing in the morning." Aang echoed, knowing the journey was going to be rough and dangerous. Hakoda leaned down and kissed her forehead.

"Be careful, both of you. If you need anything from me or the south, just send word."

"We will."

Katara let go and Hakoda came up to Aang, gripping his arm in the watertribe fashion that men did and then bowed to him respectfully. They came up and let go, smiling to each other.

"Take care."

"Love you, dad."

"I love you too." He said with one more hug and left, closing the office door behind him. She was hesitant but slowly she did turn to Aang, who had a small blush on his face.

"You look refreshed."

She nodded and looked down, not sure what to say. More than a little embarrassed about how she had looked that morning.

"What time did you leave?"

"Oh about eight."

"Hm, that's late for you." She said and laughed.

"Yeah well, I had something to knock me out for quite a while so…"

"Yeah." She nodded and looked back to him, blushing. An uncomfortable silence fell between them and she fiddled with her hair.

"How much do you remember?" He asked softly.

"Pretty much all of it."

"Ah." He said and rubbed the back of his neck. Still that silence wouldn’t go away, it hung around them heavily. She sighed and her stomach flipped.

"I know you think you have to apologize, but you don't."

"I-I don’t?" He said and his hand fell to his side as he turned towards her.

"No, I do."

"No, it was just the alcohol. Nothing to worry about." He said and took her hands. She looked up into his eyes and realized they were both blushing.

"No, it's no excuse. I was aware of what I was doing, even with how far gone I was. I knew what I was asking you to do was wrong. And in the moment I didn’t care. But I care today. And I actually want to thank you for being a man. A real man. And realizing it wasn't the right time for us."

He shook his head. "Don’t thank me too much. One more glass and I would have said yes."

"We can stand here and play 'what ifs' all day, but the fact is, you saved our relationship."

"We would have been fine either way. We've been through so much together, would we really throw this away over a poorly timed act of passion?" He asked, his face turning deep crimson. She smiled and kissed his cheek.

"No. I don’t think so."

"But I still stand by what I said last night; you deserve something special. We both do. Whenever the time comes, I'll make sure to make it so romantic, you won’t know what to do with yourself." He said and hugged her, resting his chin on her head. She smiled into his chest and hugged him back.

"I'm glad we're okay."

"We will always be okay." He whispered into her hair. She pulled away and sighed, looking back to the map.

"So, what's the plan?"

"We need to get ready. Pack for all kind of weather, it's colder south and in the mountains. And we might be tracking it for a while. We will have to see how long it takes us to find it."

"Alright. I'll go home and pack. Will you be over tonight?"

"Why don’t you stay with me tonight? It just makes more sense. " He said softly. She saw his point.

"Yeah okay. I'll go pack and come back in a few hours."

"Alright."

X

She took the ferry this time, her bags almost overbearing. She had one filled with summer and winter clothes, another bag with water pouches and healing herbs, one with dried meat for herself, and the last, and biggest, a tent and sleeping bag with optional pelt lining. With the tent and food on her back and a bag in each hand, waterbending herself across the bay would have been impossible.

Getting off the ferry, she found Aang expecting her, probably seeing the boat from his home. She smiled and he grabbed the two bags she was carrying.

"I guess I should have said pack the essentials only," he teased.

"I did." She grimaced and he bumped her shoulder with his, revealing that he was smiling. She laughed and adjusted the straps on her shoulders and they walked up the path towards his home.

"You can leave these in the living room and then we can grab a bite to eat."

"Is it almost six already?"

"Yeah, time flies huh?"

"Well it certainly wasn't fun. That bag right there is full on healing herbs, medical tools, soaps, and water skins, at least four."

"Four?" he asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Hey, you never know. I also have a two pots inside the tent on my back."

"Is it a two person tent? Or will I be sleeping out in the cold?" He joked and she smiled.

"It's actually a three person tent, to be honest, but it should fit one person and one Avatar." She teased.

"And the other bag?"

"Winter and summer attire, and boots."

"Good job. I guess you did cover the basics." He said and opened the door to his home for her. She stepped inside and slipped off her shoes, stepping up to the hallway and walking into the living room. There was one solitary bag on the couch. She came over to it and dropped her stuff, looking inside the bag, being nosy. She found two sets of clothes, some fruit, and some money and that was it.

"Really?" She said looking through the bad and then looking to him as he set the bags next to her.

"I don’t need much, I'm a nomad. Most of my stuff is with Appa in his saddle."

"Are you saying I have too much stuff?" She asked and crossed her arms.

"No! I'm just saying I need less than you." He said and rubbed the back of his neck.

She stared at him for a moment and clicked her tongue, letting the subject drop. It wasn't worth the fight.

"So, food?" She asked and looked away from him.

"Yes! Let's get dinner, everyone should be waiting," he said and came to her side, lacing his fingers with hers. They entered the hall and everyone was waiting for him, as he said. He said a quick prayer and both of them grabbed their food, talking little during dinner. They finished and walked back to his house grabbing their stuff to sleep in out of their bags.

"I'll change out here, you can change in my room."

"Okay." She said and gripped her nightgown in her fingers. She walked back to his room and slid the door closed and he hesitated, watching her outline undress against the paper door. He felt heat rising in his cheeks but he couldn’t help but stare. With her tunic dress off he watched as she took off her bindings and combed through her hair, only to watch her stop and look at the floor. He wanted to ask what was wrong but she bent over and grabbed her bindings, putting them back on before she slipped her night gown over her slender body. She moved from sight and he shook his head. Clearly she wanted to make sure she wasn't sending him the wrong message and he was okay with that. He changed into his sleep pants and took his clothes in his hand, having showered earlier that morning. He knocked on the door.

"It's okay." She said softly and he opened the door, finding her curled up on the wrong side of the bed, staring at the mural.

"You alright?" He asked and closed the door behind him, tossing his clothes next to hers.

"Yeah, just admiring your work." She smiled and sat up, crossing her legs, leaning back on her hands. "I could look at this painting for hours."

"Funny-" He caught himself and bit his lip. He was trying not to say anything.

"What's funny?"

"Nothing, forget I said anything," he blushed and turned down his half of the bed, sitting down.

"No, tell me!" She laughed and crawled to the top of the bed.

"It's just…" He looked into her eyes and blushed, bringing his legs up onto the bed and stretching out. "I could say the same thing about you. I could watch you forever."

Her smile faded and she came closer to him, her lips just inches from his.

"Really?"

He nodded softly, caught in her hypnotic gaze for once. She framed his face with her hands and her knee came over his legs, her sitting in his lap. He was watching her every move, the weight of her body in his lap made him instinctually reach around her waist, framing her body. Both of them were blushing but there was something in her eyes, the way they turned dark blue like the ocean at night. She pressed her chest against him and kissed him softly, her eyes closing. Though her lips were soft, a fire burned behind them and he wasn't about to let go. He pulled her closer to him, their bodies flush, and he kissed her deeper. Her tongue came out and lined his bottom lip, sending his head spinning. His lips parted in a sigh and he came to meet her, tasting her like he had the previous night but so much more aware of her. Her hands left his face and came to touch his neck, feeling the muscles under his pale skin. She broke the kiss and he was disappointed only temporarily, her lips finding a soft spot on his neck. He ran a hand up her back and exhaled a little harder as her tongue found his skin.

She was going to continue but he took her face in his hands, kissing her a little rougher than before, his tongue sliding against hers easily. She was lost in his taste, her breathing coming short. He kissed the corner of her mouth and made a trail from there down the side of her neck, making her whimper softly. He found her pulse point easily and sucked on her skin, his name gracing her lips in the most satisfying way he could imagine. Her legs gripped him and her arms held his head to her skin, feeling heat pool between her legs. He kissed her skin and let go, leaving the tiniest mark on her, kissing over her collarbone. Her heart was pounding and sweat was starting to bead on her skin, but she tasted just fine to him. He kissed down her chest to just the top of her cleavage.

"Aang, please. We have to stop."

He sighed and pulled back, letting his head hit the headboard. His eyes were heavy with desire and he smiled at her.

"You started this."

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Don’t be. My pleasure." He chuckled and she kissed him again briefly before swinging her leg off of him, laying next to him. They got under the covers and Aang turned off the light on his nightstand, curling against her back and slipping an arm around her waist. Their hearts took a while to calm down but when they did, they were ready for sleep. They whispered love for each other and fell under soon after.

X

She was being shaken before the sun was even up, the sky outside his window a pale lavender.

"Katara, it's time to get ready."

"Ugh, this is too early. Start without me." She grumbled and he raised an eyebrow.

"Come on, we have to get an early start. " He said and pulled his sash on over his normal pants, having changed those while she was still asleep. She sat up slowly and her hair was wild in the morning, curling in every direction. Aang thought she was beautiful, she did not. She lifted her night gown half way and looked to him.

"Out." She said grumpily. He just laughed.

"It's not like I haven't seen it before."

She responded by ripping it over her head and throwing it at him, Aang catching it with ease. She put her hands in her lap and smiled back at him, still in her bindings.

"Let's go, we have to catch breakfast and load up Appa." He said and left with her nightgown in hand.

"Alright." She said and stretched a bit, lazily getting off his bed. She looked down and it was a mess, just like her hair. She made the bed without being asked, happy to help after the restful night she had with him. His house was much quieter. She could hear the crashing of the waves on the rocks from his room. That combined with his warmth and steady breathing kept her asleep all night. She smiled and walked to his bathroom, shocked at how big it was. It was at least the same size as the master bedroom, an enormous bathtub in one corner, large enough to fit four people with room in between, and so deep. It stood up to her waist from the floor, no space underneath. A complete bamboo bath. She looked for the sink and washed her face and brushed her teeth, having had Aang place her stuff on the counter last night for her. She combed through her hair and it seemed like it was going to cooperate today. She put it half up in a bun, letting her loops out and pinning them to the bun. The rest of her hair fell behind her in loose waves. She turned off the light and walked out to the living room, seeing him waiting for her.

"Just let me get dressed and I'll be ready."

"Just go like that." He said and she threw him a look that made him laugh big and loud. She rolled her eyes and ignored him, going through her stuff and finding her casual clothes from the last trip she made with him. Luckily, the blood had come out of her skirt and shirt. She threw her arms in the holes and pulled it over her head, letting it shimmy down her body. She wasted no time stepping into the long navy skirt with the slits up the side and decided she didn't need leggings, it was midsummer. She didn’t bother to put on her leather belt either. She smiled and turned to him.

"Ready?"

"Yes." He said and grabbed her hand, leading them out of the house once they had on their shoes.

Breakfast passed in the same manner that dinner had; prayer, then food. They ate quickly and were on their way back to his house when he stopped and turned.

"Norbu?" He asked and a man of about 40 came forward. He was tall and lanky like an airbender should be, but he had the golden eyes of the fire nation.

"Yes, Avatar Aang?" He asked shyly.

"You have studied the hardest, been with me the longest, and you have done so much to help make my dream live. I leave you in charge while I'm gone. I don’t know how long I'll be this time."

Norbu nodded and smiled, bowing deeply.

"Thank you so much for this opportunity. I will not let you down."

"I'm sure you won't," he said and bowed to him, smiling. When they were done he came back to Katara and they walked to his home to grab their stuff. Once they were sure they had everything, they left his home behind, Aang blowing on his bison whistle. He appeared quickly, his smaller companion at his side. Aang laughed and threw them some melons from his bag. They ate as he packed his and Katara's stuff onto Appa's back. He turned and held his hand out for her.

"Off we go."

She smiled and accepted his hand and with his help climbed into the saddle. Amhi came up to her and nuzzled her, making her laugh. She had gotten so much bigger since they had brought her home, almost doubling in size, now about half the size of Appa.

"Aw, baby, I'm sorry but you can't go."

"Oh, uh… I actually told her she could." He said and rubbed the back of his neck.

"You what?"

"You can't separate them, Katara!"

"Why not? It's too dangerous for her! She's still healing." Katara argued.

"Oh, trust me, she's plenty healed. You can't separate... mates." He said the last word delicately.

"WHAT?!" She screamed and Aang turned around.

"You heard me! Don’t make me say it again!" He said, blushing.

"Wh-" She looked from Appa to Amhi, appalled. "When did this happen?"

"A few days ago. I came home and I was going down to feed them breakfast and I thought they were playing because it looked like he had tackled her… but then I realized…"

"Is- is she okay? I mean, she's just so small compared to him."

"Yeah I checked her later that day, she was fine and happy as ever." He said with a giggle. She couldn't help but laugh now, thinking.

"I bet the look on your face was priceless!"

"Me? The look on HIS face was priceless."

They both laughed and Amhi flew off, waiting for Appa.

"Yip yip." He said and Appa hurried to follow his mate, Katara and Aang still smiling.


	13. Enemy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry this one took so long! Life has been insane. And with kataang week coming upon us shortly I have been really focused on that. But here we go. The major arc is before us. After that it's the climax, one smaller arc, and then we are done! And I am ready to move on from this story, but not until it's perfectly finished. Hope you enjoy.

Although their journey started light, the reality quickly set in as to what they would encounter. They needed to start where the last occurrence was, the Chin Village. After a week's travel, they arrived in the village very early in the day and weren't surprised when the people were wary of on comers. When Aang and Katara introduced themselves it seemed to put them at ease and the tension melted away, leaving only sadness in its wake that was tangible. They requested audience with the chief and it wasn't long before they found themselves before him and his adviser. Tea was made and other offerings of food which the couple politely declined.

"Can I just start by saying how sorry we are for the loss you and your people have experienced?" Aang offered, soft and genuine. The chief nodded and looked down.

"We've lost good men. Five have left us."

"Five? Last I heard it was two."

Chief Fai shook his head.

"We should have contacted you sooner. On our own. Or someone should have. That's old news, almost two weeks. We lost three more a few days ago. "

Aang and Katara looked down at their cups.

"Have you heard anything from the surrounding area?" Aang asked.

"Yes, some of the benders in the swamp north of here had a run in with him. They defended themselves brilliantly. No casualties."

"Him? So it's a person." Katara said.

"Yes, a man. They described him as shrouded in dark robes and using bending they've never fought against before." Fai looked up to the pair. "If anyone can stop him, it's you Avatar Aang. And you Master Katara."

"Thank you for the information. We're going to restock and leave soon."

"Please, be safe."

They bowed and left his home. They left flowers at the grave sites of the brave men and Aang said a prayer for them. They walked through the village, stopping at food stands to restock on supplies. Aang wasn't doing much buying, just staring off into the distance, watching Appa and Amhi play in the sky. He noticed how the children and most villagers were inside, even on a beautiful day like this. They were scared. And this type of fear, Aang solemnly realized, would only spread until the situation was resolved. This was worse than the war in his opinion. It was more intrusive. More intimate. And more unexpected.

"Melon for your thoughts?" Katara asked and tossed him a small melon which he caught easily, barely paying attention.

"I am just trying to anticipate what we're facing." He looked down and fiddled with the fruit, seeming hesitant. She waited patiently, grabbing assorted foods and handing the vendors money. Finally he spoke again.

"During my travels while the war was going on, I heard legends about a dark type of bending. It's a form of waterbending called bloodbending."

"Bloodbending?" She asked.

He nodded. "It can only be done on a full moon as far as I know. The bender can contort and control your body, making your organs explode and killing you slowly. But as much as this sounds like bloodbending, I don’t think that's it."

Katara covered her mouth and tried to swallow back the metallic taste she had under her tongue. Aang looked up at her and took her hand.

"I know, it's horrible. And the worst part is, I have no idea how to fight against it." He looked down again and tried to think.

"Well," Katara gulped, "It's two against one. And the waterbenders in the swamp fought him no problem. We can both waterbend. We're both masters. We can do this."

Aang nodded and let go of her hand, picking out food himself.

"I just worry about balancing fighting him and protecting you at the same time."

"Stop. I'm a big girl. I can handle this."

He nodded just to drop the subject, not because he agreed. They took the last of their food and headed to the edge of the village, prepared to take off that afternoon.

"So, where to?" Katara asked.

"He's been able to travel over water but he chose to go to the swamp on foot. If he's without a boat now and alone, he wouldn't dare go to the desert. His purpose is to terrify and destroy and there is nothing for him out in Si Wong. And Gaoling is out of his way if he's heading towards either Ba Sing Se or Republic City."

"Sounds like we're going towards Omashu."

"And hopefully find him before he gets there."

X

Before long they were on their way back north, retracing their steps and flying low to the ground. Their travel to the swamp took most of the day, the sun hanging just above the horizon when they landed in the murky waters. Just as they took in the thick heat and the humidity, vines wrapped around Appa and Amhi, entangling them quickly. Katara barely registered the danger before instinctively lashing out with her water skins strapped to her sides. She slashed the vines from Amhi first, like a mother protecting her child.

"Whoa, hey! Huu! It's just me!" Aang called out into the swamp and the vines hesitated.

"Who are you talking to?" Katara asked and slashed the vines from Appa.

"Aang?" A low voice called back and a man in a loincloth came out from a pile of vines, his face wrinkled but cautious. He took in the young airbender and smiled. "My, you've grown."

Aang chuckled and the vines instantly retreated from all of them, Aang jumping off Appa and the man coming out into the rays of light still peaking through the thick canopy. They met and shook hands, Aang motioning for Katara to come closer.

"You two know each other?"

"Sure do." The man said. "He got lost here one time, well, him and that young firebending fellow. The one with the scar."

"Yeah, Huu and I go way back." Aang smiled and let go of his hand. "I hear you’re had some trouble recently. An unwanted visitor?"

"Oh, that." He said and his smile dropped. He turned and waved his arm. "Come to camp and we'll tell the tale."

Aang took Katara's hand and followed Huu through the curtains of vines. The water wasn't very deep, but their legs kept getting caught on vines here and there. They stumbled behind Huu for a while, who seemed to have no trouble at all, when he called out ahead of himself.

"Due! Tho! We've got company!"

The vines cleared and a small encampment merged on the banks of the water, lined with several huts and small fire pits. There were about twenty people along the shore, all busy with work of some type, be it fixing huts, tying up gathered leaves, cooking or children playing.

"Your tribe has grown." Aang noted as he stepped onto the muddy bank, helping Katara up.

"We have, thanks to you. It's easy to find waterbenders out here with the war over."

Aang looked to everyone working, men and women.

"Get hit with some kind of storm?"

"Shoot no." A voice said and a slim man came forward to them. "Not unless you're talking 'bout that hurricane in clothing that came through a yesterday. Took him all of ten minutes to flatten out the whole village." He said and folded his arms, looking Aang over. "How ya doin' little airbender?"

"Not so little anymore, but I'm fine Due. I hear you gave him a good fight."

"Can we not talk about him?" A thicker man came forward and balled his fists. "He just gave me the creeps. "

"You’re right Tho," Due said. "Something weren't right with him. Something evil just kinda came off of him in waves. "

"It took all of our most skilled benders to fend him off, myself included." Huu added. "He moved like an assassin, jumpin' from tree to tree without ever landing in the water. He was more like a ghost, a speedy shadow. Faster than you, even in your younger days Aang."

"Not only that but he's got some weird bending. Got a hold on one of us and shook him up something fierce. Maybe he can describe it for you." Due said and motioned to Tho. "Go on."

Tho shook his head. "Ain't no way I'm going back down that road. I said I don’t want to talk about him anyways."

Aang opened his mouth to speak but Katara laid her hand on his shoulder, taking a step towards Tho.

"Tho, I know it's a difficult thing to describe something unpleasant. But we need you. We're about to go after that man and we need to know what we are up against." His features softened at her gentle voice and he was finding it hard to fight her.

"Please," she pleaded.

"Okay fine." He paused and sighed, looking down at Katara's shoes. "It's like he reaches right through your chest and squeezes your lungs and makes it so you can’t breathe and you collapse in pain. It's sick and wrong and a mighty awful feeling, having someone play with you from the inside." He looked up from her shoes to her face, Aang and Katara exchanging a look.

"Did he name himself? Most terrorists do." Aang asked softly.

"He called himself the flying spider. Fei Zhizhu." Huu said.

"Thank you." Katara said and looked to Aang. "I think that's all we needed."

"Yeah, we should keep heading north." Aang agreed.

Due and Tho disappeared into the village but Huu hung back with the couple.

"If you’re not staying here, I suggest you find a safe place to camp for the night. That's when he attacks."

"Thanks Huu. I don’t think he'll be coming back this way anyway, but stay safe and keep sharp, just in case." Aang said and shook his hand. Huu looked to him and Katara.

"Keep her safe. He's a formidable foe, that one." Huu said so she couldn’t hear. He just nodded and let go of his hand, watching him go back into the village.

They left the muddy clay bank together, walking back through the curtains of vines and finding Appa and Amhi quickly.

"I will be happy to leave this place. Nice people and everything, but I just feel like we're being watched in here. Plus the heat combined with the humidity is starting to make me uncomfortable." Katara said as they climbed onto Appa. Aang couldn’t agree more, flying out of the canopy and towards Omashu. They had about three hours left of sunlight and they used that to follow the coastline, stopping just outside Omashu, where the forest met the mountains.

A stream trickled not far off and Katara went to gather fresh water while Aang set up camp. Amhi accompanied her so she wasn't alone. Once she was out of ear shot of Aang, she let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding in. Her stomach was in knots. Tomorrow would be the day they encountered the biggest threat the world has seen since the war and it was just the two of them.

She shook her head and leaned down on the banks of the stream, filling her skins and trying to align her fear. She heard a groan of pain and gasped, standing up and having a water whip ready. She looked around and saw a man laying on the banks of the stream, covered in bruises and cuts.

"Oh no." She dropped the water and ran to him, rolling him over onto his back. He hissed a complaint and opened his eyes, so silver they were almost white. He looked to her in shock and tried to scramble away, leaving blood trickles in the water.

"Don’t move, I'm a healer."

He didn’t acknowledge her and she held him to the ground as he squirmed.

"Stop moving, I need to heal you!"

He looked back to her and his breathing was slow but ragged, like he wasn't sure which would be his last. He stopped fighting and nodded and she opened his robes, taking water from the stream and starting the process. Most of his wounds seemed to be minor, just a few cuts here and there. The skin closed over thanks to Katara and he was left with small pink lines over his chest and abdomen. She looked him over and found a few scrapes on his face. She worked with lithe fingers and intricate bending, but wasn't blind to his handsome features. He had facial hair, a small beard just an inch long and long sideburns. His hair was very long, almost as long as Katara's and all of it was straight and pitch black, held back in a ponytail. There was a pink mark that crossed his lips. He saw her catch a glimpse of it and her shook his head.

"Old scar. Won’t heal." He said and she dropped the water.

"Well, other than that you look fine, now. Here, let me help you up." She stood and held out her hand for him. He took it and stood slowly. She was willing to support him and he was thankful, but silent.

"Come on, let’s get you to camp."

She and the man limped their way towards the firelight beyond the trees, Aang greeting them at the edge of the campsite.

"Who's this?" Aang asked and took his other arm over his shoulder.

"Found him washed up on the stream shore. Another victim no doubt." She assumed, helping Aang get him near a boulder and leaning him down to rest. Aang and Katara stood in front of him and Aang looked down at his dripping wet clothes.

"Here, let me dry you off." He said and bent the water from his robes and skin, then using airbending to get the rest. The man smiled softly.

"Thank you, now if you would be so kind-"

He held out his hands and Katara and Aang froze, unable to breathe. Aang tried and he couldn’t inflate his lungs, the choking pain making him and his beloved collapse to the ground. Aang was on his hand and knees, one hand on his throat, trying desperately to breathe. He had never been without air before and it was so painful, like his lungs were being turned to ash inside of him.

"Ah, that's better." The man said and stood without problem, focusing his hold on them. "So, that's all it took to trap you? A feigned performance of weakness and your little woman here heals me up from what those damn, uncultured, muck-hutters in the swamp did to me? Of course you made yourselves easy to find, what with the only two sky bison known to man flying above, who couldn’t spot you?"  
Aang caught a short, sharp breath and looked up at man, standing over them in the light of the full moon.

"Fei ZhiZhu." He accused.

"Hello, brother." He sneered down at him, the evil as plain as the ethereal glow in his silver eyes.


	14. Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Sorry *not sorry* for the cliffhanger. I have been busy with a lot of things, Kataang week being one of them. Now that Kataang week is done, this story has almost my full attention and I have every intention of finishing this before the year is over, and honestly guys were are almost there. Please, as always, review. You don’t know how much those reviews mean to writers everywhere, myself included.

Aang caught a short, sharp breath and looked up at man, standing over them in the light of the full moon.

"Fei ZhiZhu." He accused.

"Hello, brother." He sneered down at him, the evil as plain as the ethereal glow in his silver eyes. He looked over to Katara and his left hand rose higher.

"Thank you for the healing, but I would really rather this be a one on one fight." I said and his hand became a fist, Katara dropping to the ground unconscious. Fei allowed Aang some air and he crawled over to Katara's side.

"Katara! Speak to me!" He said and held her, coughing.

"She'll be fine, don’t worry."

Aang took a moment to try and calm himself but rage boiled inside of him. His own breathing was returning to him, bending the air around him, aware of every wisp of oxygen touching his skin. He started to count every death in his mind and his rage was enflamed, turning his head up from Katara's slow rise and fall of her chest and glared at Fei. She would be fine, but what about all those people? They all deserved a better death than this. And it was very simple for Aang to understand what he was facing.

"You may be an airbender, but do not dare count yourself in my Air Nomad brotherhood." Aang could never remember being this disgusted and infuriated at the same time. He stood and placed himself between Katara and Fei. They met eyes and everything was silent, even the woods around them.

"You're not even going to ask how I exist?" Fei asked. Aang was silent and waited for his onslaught. Fei frowned and sent a blade of air his way, Aang just barely jumping out of the way, twisting in the air and sending a whirlwind towards Fei. He smiled and threw out his hands, the wind stopping instantly. Aang understood more then he let on. This person was lethal in more ways than one.

"Alright, fine!" Aang shouted and moved himself away from Katara, trying to move the fight. "Tell me all about how you are an airbender." If he wanted to talk, maybe he could be distracted. Aang sidestepped more and backed further into the woods, hoping he would follow. Fei took a few steps forward, following his bait.

  
"You well know about the spiritual connection people can have if they just open their minds to the potential they can reach." He moved faster, throwing a gust of air right at Aang, which was avoided by a hair. "You call yourself the avatar when you haven't even mastered the fifth and most important element."

Aang paused. "What are you talking about?"

Fei smiled. "Simply put; You are not reaching your full potential. If those monks had raised you properly, you would know what I speak of."

This struck a cord with Aang and he tried to not let his temper flair, but it was hard. Those were his loved ones this man was slandering. He bent the earth under Fei and he flew into the air, landing gracefully onto a tree limb like it was planned.

"I'm talking about the void. That lack of anything. The fifth element. Water, Earth, Fire, Air, and Void. The void is tied into every element you can bend. That's what makes is so hard to master, so hard to pinpoint."

He jumped from tree limb to tree limb, showing how he earned the name Fei Zhizhu and coming faster towards Aang and blasting him into a tree. Aang's head bounced off the trunk and he let out a groan, stabilizing himself and dodging the second blow coming towards him.

Fei jumped off the tree and landed on the ground with almost no effort. He held his hands out and an invisible pair wrapped around Aang's throat, squeezing his windpipe so tight he couldn’t breathe or even think.

"This is what you could be capable of! Think of everything that all those air acolytes are going to learn from me once your are gone!" He smiled and tightened the void around Aang's body. Aang focused all his energy left and went into the avatar state, becoming a shining beacon in the dark woods. The power of the universe radiated from him, but it still wasn't enough to break free. Fei was stronger. It was unimaginable, but he had the advantage over the one person who was supposed to be a demigod. Aang still couldn’t breathe and the pressure made his eyes water. He tried to think of what the void was, trying everything he could to control something he couldn’t identify. Before he knew it Aang went black and was limp in Fei's hold, defeated.

"There now, that wasn't so hard." Fei said and let his body fall limp.

"Aang!" A voice called out behind him and he turned. Katara was standing there in the woods with them, coming up to the scene just now, moments too late.

"How are you awake?" He shook his head and turned towards her. "No matter, I'll take care of you for good this time, then the Avatar."

Katara took her stance and realized quickly that her water skins were still down by the river where she found him. She thought for a moment. If Aang was down, what would save her? It only took a split second for her to calculate this and run towards Aang, avoiding Fei's hold. She leapt over his body and ran further into the woods, the thought of getting help in the forefront of her mind.

Fei hesitated. He could either take out Aang now and go after the girl, possibly losing her and having a loose end to tie later. Or. Or he could go after her now and come back. He growled and chose the latter, jumping up in the trees to follow Katara.

She ran as fast as she could, dodging tree after tree in the moonlight.

"Where do you think you're going?" A voice called behind her and she looked over her shoulder, seeing him up in the canopy. She gasped and sprinted forwards, passing the tree line and screaming, almost falling off the cliff. She skidded to a stop and looked from side to side. The cliff dropped a few hundred feet. Trees on either side of her. Grass under her feet. Dry. Everything was dry. She turned and Fei jumped out of the trees, landing just at the tree line of the forest. The full moon cast dark shadows on his face and Katara's heart was beating out of her chest, backing up to the edge of the cliff. Her foot slipped and she adjusted her stance, a few rocks falling off the side.

"Done running then?"

Katara stood in her stance, not sure what to do. Her body was tense, her breathing so sharp. She felt like everything was in slow motion. Fei didn’t manipulate the void on her immediately like he did before. He came closer to her. She was beautiful, he could see what Aang saw in her. Maybe he could deal with her in a different way. An evil grin spread across her face and the back of her neck tingled, her stomach dropping. She was in more danger than she knew.

"Stay back." She sounded about as courageous as a field mouse. He didn’t head her warning, stepping closer still.

"You have no water." He purred to her.

"I mean it, not one more step!" She screamed and he didn’t seem fazed. He was three yards away and he was closing the gap step by step. Her adrenaline was pounding in her veins and she felt the moon pulling her but with no water there was nothing to push. All the men that he had killed would never top what he was going to do to her. Katara thought of all the innocent lives lost, the wake of grief and despair he had left in the Earth Kingdom and the Southern Watertribe. How he had overpowered her love, the almighty Avatar and left him in the dirt, causing him spirits know how much pain. It made her sick. She wanted to do so many things to make him pay. A dark part of her prayed for rain, a stream, anything to wound him again where she had healed him. Anything to make him feel the pain he made others feel.

He was closer, a yard now. He reached out to her and she didn’t even think, she threw out her arms to make him stop and closed her eyes, her body turning hard as stone. She waited. She could hear her breathing and nothing else. What was he waiting for? Ten seconds and she didn’t want to but something inside her made her look up. His face was contorted into a painful expression, his arm just inches from her, frozen. She could see him fighting against whatever force was holding her back. Her mind raced and put the pieces together. She pushed her arms out, sending him flying back. She thought how wrong these actions were but she didn’t care, she couldn’t stop. She felt his blood under the moonlight and wanted to force her will upon him.

Katara bent him down to the ground, taking him down to his hands and knees.

"Look who's reaching their full potential now." He struggled to say, his body in so much pain. Before she could do any real damage, Aang came out of the trees and saw him on the ground. Aang instantly knew what Katara was doing and chose to ignore it, bending the earth around Fei and trapping him. His face contorted into even more pain and Aang looked over his shoulder.

"Katara, you’re safe, let him go."

She barely heard him, holding Fei in his earth prison. His face was going purple and the sound of blood being controlled was the only sound in the air. She wanted him to feel pain. She could feel every vain in his body vibrating to the pulse of his heart, how easy it would be to stop his heart from beating. Her grip twisted him in the ground and she felt a rush of power. She was actually somehow finding a sweet release in her actions, wrong as they were.

"Katara! Stop before you kill him!"

She looked to Aang and her hands recoiled, Fei's head falling limp. His color returned to normal slowly and Aang took a deep breath. He placed his hands on his head and over his heart, going into the avatar state and invading Fei's chakras. He stood like that for what seemed like hours before he finally let go. Aang limped backwards and grabbed his head, letting out a groan.

"Aang?" Katara asked and reached out for him, grabbing his arm.

"It's okay. We're safe."

Fei struggled against the earth and growled.

"What did you do to me?"

"I took everything you had away."

"I'll just unlock them all again Avatar. You haven't won."

"I have." He said and took Katara's hand. "I wrapped all your chakras in the void, dispersing them in into the universal energy I tap into when I go into the avatar state. You have no chakras. I took away all your bending. You will never bend anything again."

Fei sneered. "It figures you would both reach your full potential at such an inconvenient time."

Katara looked down as shame washed over her. Fei fed on her disgrace.

"You're now a bloodbender. Congratulations."

Aang was angry at his insult but Katara covered her mouth to muffle her gasp. She felt sick to her stomach. She didn’t want to ever be that person. She never wanted this to happen, to have that much power over someone but rage and revenge had consumed her in those moments. Aang wrapped his arms around Katara and she sobbed into his robes. Aang looked to Fei.

"We're taking you to Republic City. You're going under lockdown Fei."

X

The trip back didn’t take long. They dropped off their prisoner at the RCPD, Toph waiting for them. He was put into segregation, all alone. He would spend the rest of his life in that cell with multiple counts of homicide, and two counts of attempted homicide along with numerous accounts of assault.

When Fei was secure and out of Aang's hands he had other things he needed to worry about. Like his beloved waterbender's state of mind. He walked her home from the police headquarters and she didn’t say a word as she unlocked the door. He followed her in with her bags and let them down on the floor, closing the door behind him. She shrugged out of her outer robes and sat on her couch, hands on her knees. Aang sat beside her and wrapped his arms around her.

"Do you need to talk about it?"

She hesitated, trying to steady her breathing. She let out a shaky breath and stared at the floor.

"You're not a monster." He cooed.

"I am." She argued.

"No, you were protecting yourself. Nothing else."

"You don’t understand Aang. I knew what I was doing when he stopped just inches from me. I knew what I was capable of in that moment…. and I couldn’t stop. I wanted him to hurt. I wanted to-to-…" She couldn’t verbalize those terrible thoughts she had been thinking.

"You wouldn’t have done it." He whispered.

"How can you be so sure? You don't know what he was going to do to me. I saw it in his eyes. He…" She swallowed and hugged her arms. Aang cupped her cheek and turned her to face him. Her eyes were swelling with tears but her ocean crashed into his silver and she was grounded.

"You wouldn’t have. I know you. You are no killer. You are a healer. You make people better and that includes me." He murmured softly and let go of her cheek, kissing her softly. She meant to kiss him back but she erupted in a sob, her dam breaking and her arms wrapping around his neck.

He lay on the couch and held her for over an hour, just letting her tear streaked kissed stain his robes, petting her hair when she was trying to come up for air. It was the best thing he could do for her, just let her let it out.

When hear breathing was steady and her eyes stinging and red, he asked if she was going to be okay. She nodded and tilted up, getting off of him with a sniff.

"Do you need help unpacking?"

She shook her head. "I think I just need some alone time. Is that okay?"

"Of course."

He got up and she walked him to the door, the sun setting across the bay.

"I'll come see you tomorrow."

"Okay." She nodded and he pulled her into him, kissing her hair.

"I love you."

"And I love you Aang."

They shared one last kiss and he went his way, leaving her in her silent house. She closed the door behind him and focused on unpacking everything. Putting the food back in the pantry, the pots in the sink, laundry in the hamper. She gave herself a hot bath and closed her eyes when the water overtook her body, praying that the spirits would forgive her for her actions. The hot water seemed to calm her down and she stayed sunk in her tub until the water started to cool.

She eventually got out of the tub and dried herself off, getting into her night gown and laying down to sleep. It took a while and a lot of praying, but she finally fell into a dreamless rest at last.


	15. The Aftermath

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Well we made it. That last arc was not exactly executed as I had wished, but it stands as is. We have the last arc of the story starting now and we are easing into it and then we are done! I have really enjoyed this story and it has been an incredible year of writing for me. I have grown so much and I hope I continue to grow each day. Okay, enough of my ranting - this isn’t what you’re here for! As usual, I own nothing.

Morning came very quick for her. The dreamless sleep hadn't exactly refreshed her brain. It put it on pause, more or less. Her opening statement to herself was an internal barrage of insults and she twisted in the sheets. Aang had tried to comfort her the previous night and it did help a little. But Katara was and always had been her own worst enemy. She lay in the morning light and watched the clouds pass by, praying for the strength to forgive herself eventually.

She sighed and sat up in her bed, letting the sheets fall off her body. It was true that Fei ZhiZhu was the true monster in this case, but she had lowered herself down to his level, letting an angry, vengeful beast take over. And for that, she needed to pay some consequence. At least, she believed she did.

Actually getting out of bed was harder than she thought. She felt like a rock was in her stomach and her limbs felt tired from the whole ordeal. What finally got her out of bed was a knock at her front door.

She slipped onto the floor and made her way to the door, cracking it open.

"Morning." Aang said with a patient smile. Her lips pulled up just the slightest and she let him in. He flashed a toothy grin and closed the door behind him.

"Get dressed, we have a full day today." He said with pent up excitement.

"What do you mean?"

"You and I are going to do some waterbending practice."

She shook her head.

"Aang, I really don’t feel like bending today."

"And that's why you're going to do this."

She put her hands on her hips.

"Aang, you can’t make me."

"I can try. I'll dress you myself if I have to." He said and she blushed looking away from him. She huffed and dropped her arms.

"Fine, wait here."

He nodded and smiled triumphantly.

She didn’t take long. The hottest days were dwindling down and today felt much cooler than the previous week had. She dressed accordingly; leggings, short sleeve tunic and her hair in a braid. She came out and was wrapping her forearms with a navy cloth.

"Much better." Aang said and smiled. "Not that I don’t love seeing you in your little night gown." He added, trying to lighten her mood. He made them both blush in the process and he cleared his throat. He stepped over to her and pulled her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her. She encircled him and exhaled into his robes as he kissed her hair.

"Trust me," he said in a softer and more serious tone. "I know this will be good."

The ride on the ferry was quiet. He held her hand and rubbed her hand with his thumb. It calmed her a little and helped her feel less horrible.

Once on the island Aang took her off the path and around the cliffs where there was a small part of a beach just big enough for both of them. He let go of her hand and walked to the top curvature of the water, the most inland part, and took off his shoes and rolled up his pants. Katara took her cue and slipped her leggings off with her shoes and set them aside, feeling the warm sand between her toes. Aang went into the water to about Mid-thigh and she came after him, the bottoms of her tunic in the water.  
Aang lifted a large stream from the water and circled it towards her. She passed it back to him without missing a beat, feeling comfortable but still guilty. They passes the water back forth in silence and until her stance became rigid and the water was dropped. Aang questioned her with his eyes and she rubbed her arm.

"I'm sorry, I just don't feel very worthy of bending right now."

"Sweetie, you have to let this go."

"I can't." She choked back a sob and looked to the water. He came towards her and took her hands gently.

"You can't just not bend because you made a mistake."

She didn’t respond and kept her eyes fixed on the waves between them. He let go of her hands and came around, his hands at her waist once he was behind her.

"Bend your knees."

She was silent but did as told, getting her legs into a stance.

"Raise your arms with the waves."

She was hesitant and he felt the stubbornness rolling off her body. He positioned her arms and moved her body with the waves. She was resistant at first but her body took over eventually, letting his hands rest back on her waist. The push and pull was so relieving, like the physical representation of pushing out everything that was running through her mind and pulling it away from her body. She relaxed and got into it, barely recognizing his hands on her body. The push and pull of the water was somehow cleansing her toxic mind and guilty spirit. The waves receded and came back fuller each time, the ocean at her beck and call. She started to move the water around her, not just in waves but in a tide.

Aang let go to step back and her eyes closed, feeling her way through the sand by the feel of her natural element. Her arms raised again and the water mirrored her body, fluid and beautiful like it's master. She pulled at the waves until a large crest was hanging above her head. She stopped it form crashing on the beach and exhaled, lowering the water back into the bay. She repeated the action until she was sweating. That’s when she let go completely and allowed to water to go back to normal. Releasing the water was just as relieving as the bending had been. She stood straight again and opened her eyes, watching the peaceful waves clap against the shore.

Aang came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. He nestled his nose into her hair.

"Any better?"

"A bit." She said with the smallest smile. His hands came together over her middle and she placed her hands over his.

"I know that there is really nothing I can say to help you. You're doing this to yourself. But…" He stopped and kissed her cheek from the side.

"No amount of guilt can change the past and no amount of anxiety can change the future."

She pondered his wise words and tried to let go of her sunken stomach like she had released the water. The pull of guilt in her gut was a sick feeling and she wanted it to be gone. She just didn’t know how to forgive herself.

"Have you ever done anything like this?"

"How about running away and getting frozen in an iceberg for 100 years only to be found and told that my entire culture had been erased because I wasn't there to protect them?"

She looked down at their hands and she rubbed the back of his hand with her thumb.

"I can’t even imagine the guilt you must have had. How did you let it go?"

"I had to. For me to be able to be the avatar, I needed to free all my chakras." He took her hand and placed it below her naval.

"The Water Chakra deals with pleasure. It's located here, in your lower abdomen. This chakra is blocked by guilt. In order for you to feel full pleasure in your life again, you have to let go of the guilt that binds you." He said softly.

"How?"

"Rest assured that we all make mistakes and it's all nothing if we learn nothing from them. You made a mistake. Now learn from it and move on." He said and let her go, giving her a kiss on the cheek and walking away from her. Katara was left in the cove with the water and her thoughts.

X

She was sitting on the dock with her feet in the water when he found her later that evening. She was laying on her back and watching the clouds, her hands folded over her stomach and her legs kicking slowly, twirling her toes into the cool bay. He came up on her quietly. Her eyes were closed. He sat at her head in the lotus position, folding his hands and starting to meditate. He wasn't going to push her.

She was happy he was there. His presence helped her finalize her feelings. She sighed and opened her eyes. Aang opened his eyes and leaned over her, playing with her braid.

"Everything alright?"

She nodded and looked up to him.

"I think I can finally understand what I need to do."

"And that is?"

"To just move on from this whole terrible episode. You’re right. No matter how much I beat up myself I can’t change what I did. The only thing I can do is forgive myself and learn."

Aang smiled and stroked her cheek.

"That's very healthy of you to decide."

"Yeah well," she sat up and turned to him, pulling her feet from the water. "I had some help from a pretty wise Avatar."

Aang shrugged.

"I try."

Katara smiled and hugged him on her knees, giving a small laugh as she clutched him to her chest. He smiled and wound his arms around her middle, trying to ignore her chest and appreciate the affectionate hug. She kissed his arrow and he blushed.

"I love you." She whispered.

"And I love you." He said softly.

Suddenly the light mood felt heavy. Katara pulled back and held his face, looking into his silver eyes. Aang was overwhelmed by how much he loved this woman in front of him. Time meant nothing to him. He felt like he had known her forever though their friendship had barely graced six months. Without breaking eye contact he put his hand over one of hers and moved her palm to his lips, giving her a tender kiss.

In this moment Katara felt like it was just the two of them in existence. They searched each other's eyes for questions, answers, feelings, justification, and above all else, unquestionable doubt that their love was deep and true. She traced his lips with her finger and he closed his eyes, kissing her digit lovingly. She came down to his level and kissed his lips, adjusting her body so she was sitting in his lap. His arms came around to hold her and she put her arms around his shoulders.

She pulled her lips away and they both let out a soft sigh. Their eyes met again through heavy lids and both hearts were running races. Katara hesitated, wanting more, but she knew she had to hold herself back.

"We should probably stop." He said breathlessly.

She nodded and loosened her grip.

"Let's grab some dinner, it's about that time." He suggested. She nodded again and raised herself up, offering her hand to Aang. He took it and stood with her, lacing his fingers with hers.

As they walked towards the main part of the island something started to come together in Aang's mind and as much as he tried to push it aside, it was just so right it couldn't be ignored.


	16. The Question

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/n: I am only doing a disclaimer. I own nothing. If you have read this far and have a brain, you know where this is going. Happy reading!

Autumn surrounded the city with beautiful oranges, reds, and yellows of dying leaves and cooler winds off the bay. The sun was getting further from the earth, right at that sweet spot between perihelion and aphelion. Temperatures were mild, sometimes a little chilly. As the weeks rolled on from summer to autumn though, Katara's pleasure was dissipating and her patience was being spread thin. Out of everything that had been happening she knew one thing for certain; Aang was avoiding her. 

There had been fewer and fewer morning wake up calls to her house. Fewer bending sessions. Fewer meals together. Just over all less time together. When she was with him he seemed distracted, looking at her in a weird way that was unnerving to her. She tried to keep calm about it. She reminded herself that he was the avatar and was busy with the whole world and that she really couldn’t ask for 100% of his time. This calmed her a little but there was still something bizarre about the situation.

Katara was dressed for the day and decided to head down to City Hall and talk to Sokka, hoping to catch him available. She snuck in the main door and walked off to the left to go upstairs to Sokka's office. She rounded the corner and was surprised to find him standing in the doorway of his office and Aang in the hall. They both stopped talking abruptly when Aang turned his head to see her walking towards them.

"Oh, hey Sweetie!" He said with a little too much enthusiasm. She frowned and looked between them.

"Hey, I thought you were going to Ba Sing Se today? What are you doing here, talking to Sokka?"

Aang looked to her brother and back to her before smiling again.

"I was just, uh, getting some things cleared up before I left! There were some issues with…" He trailed off and looked to Sokka. His face was blank and no help. Aang's eyes widened and Sokka sighed.

"Trading." He said flatly.

"Trading!" Aang repeated quickly. "There were some issues with the trade routes that I needed to help with and now I am done so…" He turned back to Sokka and shook his hand. "Thank you for the help."

"Wait, I thought you helped him, not the other way around." Katara said and crossed her arms. 

"Right! Thanks for letting me help Sokka. It was, um, helpful?" She said and rubbed the back of his neck. Sokka patted him on the shoulder and changed the subject.

"Have a good trip. Be careful."

"Okay thanks." He said and Sokka gave him a firm hand shake by the arm, waving goodbye to his sister and going back into his office, closing the door. Aang looked to Katara and smiled and shrugged.

"Okay, so I guess I need to get going. Appa is on the roof." He leaned in to give her an kiss and she put a hand on his chest to stop him.

"What is going on with you lately?"

His puckered lips came to a frown and he put a hand on her waist.

"What do you mean?"

"You have been avoiding me. And when you are around me you've been… odd."

"No I haven't! I've been really busy, honest! And what do you mean odd? Odd how?"

"Like that whole thing between you and my brother just now. That was just… it felt like you were using code with him or something. You’re hiding something from me."

"I'm not hiding anything." He said and looked away from her. She grabbed his chin and turned him back to her.

"And now you’re lying to me? When did that start?" She was furious but her tone was hurt and he flinched, sighing.

"Sweetie. Just trust me." He asked and his eyes were soft and pleading.

She wanted to hang onto her rage. She wanted to yell at him. He had never lied to her before. Her rage was quickly going to turn into tears.

"You don’t stop by my house anymore. You are never at the temple when I show up. The Acolytes have no clue where you go, they assumed all this time you were with me. I barely get to see you because you’re so 'busy'. And now, on top of all that, you are lying to me. Are you even going to Ba Sing Se?" She said and her voice faltered. He gripped her hand and framed her face. 

"I am going on a trip, but no, I am not going to Ba Sing Se. And I can’t tell you where I am going. And I can’t take you with me." He said slowly and she closed her eyes and her heart sunk. A tear fell from the corner of her eye. In her head a thousand sirens where screaming that something about this was wrong.

"Aang… are you," She took in a breath. She could barely think of the question, let alone ask it. "Are you seeing someone else?" She asked and her lip quivered. Aang looked appalled. 

"NO! Katara, no! That is not what is going on!" He took her face in his hands and came closer to her and kissed her on the lips. She pulled back and tears still flowed from her lashes.

"Then what is going on?"

"Do you love me?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"Just answer me, please."

She took a moment and wiped her eyes. She exhaled and tried to steady herself.

"Yes, Aang, I love you." She said and put her arms to her side. He smiled and pressed his forehead to her, holding her arms.

"Good. I love you too. And I promise you are the only person for me." He separated from her and stood in front of her.

"This trip will only take a few days. Maybe four if I get sidetracked. It's a very in-and-out operation. I will be home, to you, in no time." He said with a soft smile and she nodded.

"You have to trust me okay? I would trust you with my life Katara, I have before. I am just asking for trust this one time and after this I will never ever be secretive again. I will tell you everything when I get back, I just need to go right now if I am going to be back as soon as possible."

"Okay." She said and gripped his robes, pulling him down into a quick but rough kiss. She bit his lip and sipped her tongue into his mouth, tasting him for the first time in what felt like forever. He hummed and gripped her body close to him but she quickly cut him off, pulling away and breaking the kiss.

"You had better think of me every second you are gone." She said through half-lidded eyes. He exhaled shakily and gulped, nodding.

"With a kiss like that, how can I not?"

She smirked and kissed his forehead.

"Okay, I need to go. I love you."

"I love you too." She smiled and his hand lingered in hers as he backed away to the roof access stairwell. She sighed once he was out of sight and turned to her brother's office door. She reached for the handle and it was locked. She made a very angry grunting noise and beat on the door.

"Sokka!"

"I'm busy. Come back later." He lied unamused through the door.

"You are not busy! Unlock this door right now!"

"Why?"

"We need to talk!" 

She heard shuffling behind the door and a click as he turned the door open. He stood in the door way and smirked at her. 

"And just what would you like to discuss?"

"How about what you and Aang were really talking about?"

He shook his head and crossed his arms.

"Not gonna happen."

"Sokka! This is important! Something is going on and I don’t like it! You shouldn't know something about my boyfriend that I don't."

"Oh I know a lot about him that you don’t." He smirked again, rubbing it in. "But you don’t have to worry. Aang will be back in a few days and everything will make sense."

"Listen you, I can’t wait a few days! I'll go crazy! Just tell me now or… I'll get your wife to tell me. You tell Suki everything!" She tried to corner him. He laughed.

"I haven't told her this. And I don't plan to. And by the time you try to spin this into me lying to her, Aang will be back anyways." He leaned against the doorframe. Katara groaned and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Katara, relax. It's going to be okay." 

She fumed and huffed, walking away from him and not really knowing what else to do. She stomped down the stairs and flew through the main doors with unnecessary roughness. She pushed through her classic temper and power walked from city hall to the market by the bay. By the time she was there, her anger was gone and her feet were sore. She leaned against a pole and looked out to the bay, the late morning light glinting off the water and Air Temple Island looking more like home than ever. She crossed arms and let a hand loose to gently bend the water under the dock, making her own ripples and shadows. 

"A few days." She sighed, dropped the water, and tucked her hand under her elbow. She started to walk through the market, grabbing a basket and stocking up for a few days. She got fish, fruit, vegetables, and some junk food of course. 

She finished shopping and made her way back home, trying to think of ways to pass a few days' time, knowing she would be checking the clock every few minutes until his safe return. Katara sighed as she entered her home and kicked off her shoes. She took extra care to put the food away in the proper cupboard or ice box and left her basket by the door.

In Aang's absence, she had let her house get dusty and unorganized. She noticed the pile of shoes, the film of lint on the book shelves, the books out of order, crooked furniture. It wasn't exactly a cowpigsty but it could be better. She took off her outer garment and hung it on the coat rack, grabbing a ribbon and braiding her hair down her back and tying it off. She stood in her bindings and leggings and started to get to work. 

X

If day one had been painful, days two and three were excruciating. It was morning on the third day. Her bath for the day was already over. Her hair was dry. All clothes had been washed, dried, folded, and put away the previous day. Breakfast was consumed and dishes clean. The whole house was spotless. Not a trace of dust was left from floor to ceiling. Her closet was organized by casual to formal attire. Each piece of furniture and knickknack and souvenir was put in place with precision. She was laying on her already made bed and feeling the air come through her open window. She had never felt more like screaming in her life. 

She lay in the silence, trying to calm herself for so long she thought she was imagining things when a quick rapping came at her door. Her eyes flew open and she all but ran to the door, seeing him with a serene smile on his face that made his charm overflow. She smiled and hugged his neck, Aang picking her up and spinning her in a circle. When he put her down she framed his face and kissed him so heatedly he was sure his ears were steaming. His head was spinning and he could barely breathe. She was hungry for his touch and kiss and so much more. He pushed her back and smiled, leaning his forehead against her while he tried to get centered again. 

"I take it you missed me." He gasped.

"So much." She said and tried to catch her breath. 

"Don’t you want to know why I was gone? You seemed so interested when I left."

She laughed and nodded.

"Yes, come in and tell me everything." She turned to walk inside but Aang grabbed her arm.

"Let's go to Air Temple Island. I’d rather talk about it there."

She raised her eyebrow and was about to question him.

"Trust me." He said and kissed her lips softly. She smiled and broke the kiss. 

"Okay." She said softly and closed the door behind her.

He guided her to Appa who was waiting not far from the house. She sat with Aang on the head and they flew off to the island. The trip was silent. She was getting anxious but his face wouldn’t betray anything less a smile. He looked so peaceful. So at home. She wondered if all of the nonsense of him avoiding her was going to be over. She had never seen him so… content. Whatever had happened had clearly been to his benefit. Which should have calmed her but it really just raised more questions in her mind. 

As they landed in the plaza, he helped her off Appa and held her hand, watching Appa fly off to see Amhi. 

"Walk with me." He said and let go of her hand. She followed him closely as he led her passed the main structures of the island. They avoided the dining hall, the dormitories, the temple and his home. He led her through bushes and followed a foot path down towards the cliffs, where she had never been before. Just before the path turned down to the cliffs there was a beautiful tree with a raised and level stone under the branches, perfect for two people to sit under. He turned to her and took her hand, leading her to the stone and sitting down with her. He smiled and looked down at her hands, the light coming through the fall leaves giving the air around them an orange glow.

"Katara," He finally spoke and looked from their hands into her eyes. "How much do you love me?"

She smiled and tilted her head. His voice was so soft and even she didn’t know why he was asking it.

"Aang, It's hard to describe."

"Try."

She exhaled and looked down at their hands. 

"Whenever you leave, it's like I'm lost. I feel like my life is on hold until you return. When you avoid me it makes me so angry but it also hurts because I love you so much and I just want to always be with you. I love kissing you. I love when you hold me. I love how strong you are but you never use that against people. I love how genuine you are. I love how much you care. I love everything about you. I didn’t think I could ever love someone this much…" She trailed off and squeezed his hand. She looked into his eyes and his cheeks were burning red with ears to match. 

"What about you? How much do you love me?"

"I'm glad you asked." He smiled and took in a breath. He seemed nervous. 

"When I was young, it was revealed that I was the Avatar. When I was told that, my whole life was changed. I ran away from home. I ended up frozen in a block of ice until Zuko found me. When I was told what had happened in my absence, I promised myself that I would do anything to become the Avatar the world needed. I would train until I couldn’t feel my own body, if that was what it took. And I did that. I became the Avatar in less than a year and defeated Firelord Ozai and helped to restore the world the best I could and make this wonderful nation for all people. I thought that was it. I was going to live a life of service and duty to the world and that's what my plan was."

He paused and looked to Katara.

"Until my friend told me about a certain waterbending master who had terrible trouble with men." He smiled. She chuckled and he continued.

"The stories he would tell me were incredible. I couldn’t stop asking about you. I needed to know more about you. Suddenly any time I saw Zuko, I saw it as an opportunity to ask about you. One day he said I should just meet you. He was joking of course, but I took him up on his offer. On that day, when we met last spring, I realized that there is not a full life without love. That night, after our first date, I couldn’t sleep. I felt so hollow without you by my side and though I barely knew you I felt like I had been waiting my whole life to meet you. And every day after that this feeling has only increased. It's like my life before you was just preparing me for a real life. A life with you."

He reached into his robes and pulled out a familiar sight; a cyan pendant on a navy silk choker. Katara was blushing and her heart was beating so fast. She felt like this wasn't real. This had to be a dream. 

"Katara. Every morning I wake up, my first through is about you. And when I go to bed I dream about you. I want you by my side for the rest of my life. My life would be so empty without you. I want you to be my best friend until we pass from this world."

She felt tears welling up in her eyes. He cupped her chin and made her look away from the necklace and into his eyes.

"Princess Katara of the Southern Watertribe, will you please honor me and be my wife?"

She had to chock back a sob and nodded.

"I will. Aang, I love you. Of course I will marry you."

He smiled and had to choke back a sob himself. He looked down at the necklace and back to her.

"May I?"

She nodded and laughed, tears streaming down her cheeks. He stood and came behind her and she held up her hair for him. He looped it around her neck and closed the clasp, coming in front to see her.

"How do I look?"

"More beautiful every day." He smiled and pulled her in for a kiss. She leaned back onto the stone and he followed her, kissing her and hovering over her body. She had never been so excited and so happy. He pulled back and looked down at her with her hair spilling over the stone, the pendent against her skin so perfectly.

"I can’t wait to tell everyone." She said and his face was wiped of the smile.

"Um. I'm sorry but a lot of people already know."

"What?" She said and sat up, making him sit back where he had been. 

"Who knows?"

"Well, I had to ask Sokka so he knows. Everyone on this island knows; notice how no one is around?"

She looked around and, with him mentioning it, she realized she had not seen a single person.

"I sent everyone off the island for the day. I wanted this to be alone time between you and I."

"Okay… who else knows?"

"Your father and your grandmother. They are on the way right now for the wedding next week."

"Next week!?" She squeaked and crossed her arms.

"They really shouldn’t be traveling during the icy months. It's a bigger risk of ship damage. Plus I knew you would want something small so there is hardly any planning you have to do."

"How were you so sure I was going to say yes?"

"Because I love you and I know you love me. Besides, could you really say no to this."

He leaned in and kissed the side of her neck. She sighed and archer her neck, grabbing his shoulder. His tongue touched her skin and she whimpered under him, desperate for more. He smiled and stopped, pulling back.

"Fine, fair point." She smiled as she tried to calm her body down. 

"But you still get to tell Suki and Toph and Zuko. So that should count for something."

She smiled and threw her arms around his neck.

"I love you so much Aang."

"And I love you." He smiled and kissed her hair.


	17. Calligraphy Brush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Thanks for sticking with me. Here is the next chapter. I own nothing. This chapter is the whole thing that started this entire story so please read with care. It was my original concept to be a one shot of just this chapter but I decided to do an entire story out of this one incident. Please treat this chapter kindly. There is real world research behind this, but some of it I grabbed from other cultures than the monks of Tibet.

Katara stood on the ferry with boxes behind her just as it was docking at Air Temple Island. Aang met her with a kiss on the cheek as be bent down to grab multiple boxes. She helped grab the ones that he left.

"Is this the last of it?"

"This is everything. Nothing else remains in the house that I am not willing to sell to the next person." She looked to the setting sun.

"We'll put this stuff in my house for now." He nodded. She had gotten rid of everything in her house that she didn’t need and packed the essentials, minus the pelts to be sensitive to Aang. All her artifacts, her clothes, food, bathroom items, books, knickknacks, and junk was now on the island. Aang had ample storage in his house, but her personal care items went with her to the temporary room where she was living inside the girl's dormitory. It was their decision. 

They had come to an agreement that living together so close to the wedding would give many opportunities to break their promise of waiting until the wedding night. But that was the furthest thing from Katara's mind. 

They placed the boxes where they needed too. Aang started to put away her books and the tribal artifacts on the walls with his nomadic artifacts. It made the place feel much more like home. Katara took off with the last of her personal care items and arranged them in her dormitory. Her face was like stone. So many things were running through her mind it was hard for her to keep up. She fiddled with her combs and ribbons until Aang knocked on the doorframe.

"Sweetie, are you alright?"

"Hmm?" She asked and put the comb back on the shelf. "Yeah, why?"

"You just seem… distracted." He said and came to her, slipping his hand into hers.

"I am, a bit. I'm just over thinking. You know me."

"Yes I do." He kissed her hair. "But it's usually not nothing. Tell me."

"I was just thinking… You know how your house is now filled with two nation's things? And how our wedding is going to be half watertribe, half air nomad?"

"Yes. I thought you wanted it that way? If you want a full water tribe wedding-"

"No! Trust me, I am happy with it this way."

"Okay, then where is the issue Katara?"

She looked down onto his robes and avoided contact with his eyes.

"This is going to sound stupid, but… how do air nomads prepare for a wedding?"

"Oh. You mean outside of the ceremony?"

"Yes. Like an engagement. What am I missing that a normal woman from your nation would have?"

"Well…" He rubbed the back of his neck trying to think. "Really nothing. I mean there's the lack of a tattoo but you can't really get that. Only Airbending masters can have that tattoo. And every person of my culture was an airbender."

"I know I just feel bad because the necklace is part of my heritage, not yours. I just want you to feel like we've done all we could."

He was quiet for a while and he looked down into her eyes.

"Well, we can always do what we do for the kids." He paused and saw that she was intrigued. "There is this paste that we apply with either a thin brush or a very dull needle. We make really extravagant designs on the kids hands and feet as part of one of our festivals. The paste goes on white but after a few days it's dark blue. Darker than our tattoos. It stays on for about a week or until it's scrubbed off. Do… would you want to do that?"

"Aang that sounds perfect! Can we do that? Please? Will it hurt?"

"Yes, we can do that. And no, it's pretty painless. I have the supplies actually. What do you want?"

"Can you do an arrow on my back?"

"An arrow on your back? No one will see it!"

"Don't worry, I have the perfect dress. It will be seen when I walk down the aisle. And if we do it today it should be dark blue by the time of the wedding."

"Alright. If you're sure." He paused and she nodded. He smiled and thought of what needed to get done.

"I need you to take a bath, scrub your body well. Dress in a robe and come see me in the top of the temple. I'll be ready by then."

She smiled and kissed him, leaving to go take her bath. 

X

She clutched her robe close to her body as she climbed the stairs. A smell came around her and became stronger the higher she climbed. When she was finally at the top of the stairs, the doorway was shrouded by a thick red curtain. She pushed it aside and entered the room. Though the sun had set, the room was warmly lit by candles on a shelf that seemed to run the entire perimeter of the small circular room. The smell was very strong in the room. She looked and saw Aang fiddling in the corner.

"It looks so romantic."

He looked up to her and smiled. He was just in his pants which made her crook an eyebrow. 

"The lighting and the incense is meant to help keep you calm and relaxed." He said as he brought a tray over to the counter, next to a table in the middle of the room.

"And you being shirtless?"

He rolled his eyes.

"It's hard work. I'll get hot." He came up to her and handed her a ribbon he had sneaked from her room.

"Tie your hair up please."

She smirked and took the ribbon from him, doing as he said. He was preparing the tools when he stopped for a moment.

"Katara?"

"Mm?" She looked over her shoulder.

"Do… do you want this to be… permanent?"

She fell silent and her hands stopped braiding her hair. She thought about it for a while before responding and going back to braiding.

"I thought only airbending masters could get a tattoo."

"This is different. This isn’t the same mark. It's darker and more detailed. It's a masterpiece. It's not solid like my arrows are. Its filled with shapes and contours."

She tied off the braid and threw it over her shoulder. 

"Aang, I don’t want you breaking any comfort barriers just to make me happy."

"That's not why I'm asking. I am asking because I can give this to you. As a present."

She sat on the table and let her legs hang towards the ground. 

"Then what will I give you as a present in return?" She smirked and bit her lip. He smiled and put down the tools, coming in front of her. He gave her a tender kiss that lasted longer than either would admit.

"You don’t have to give me anything. Take it as a thank you present for respecting my culture."

"I appreciate it but just go ahead and give me what you were going to originally do. The one that will wash off after the wedding."

He nodded and let out a breath.

"Good, I didn’t know if I was going to be able to do a tattoo." He admitted and smiled.

"Aang!" She swatted his arm. "You shouldn’t have offered if you don’t want to do it!"

"I want to, I just don’t know if I can!" He laughed and held her shoulders. "Anyways, this will be good precision practice for me so either way this is good for both of us."

Katara smiled and closed her eyes.

"Mm, that scent is making my head swim."

"You had better lay down. I'll turn away but I need you to take off your robe and lay on your stomach. You can cover your bottom half with the robe." He said and turned back to the counter, grabbing his tools. Katara did as told and folded her arms under her head, pulling her braid to hang over the edge of the table.

"Okay, I'm good."

"Good." He said and came behind her. "I didn’t even peek."

She laughed and he laughed with her. 

"Okay, stay steady."

"Okay."

He smiled and took the brush in his hands, starting the point between her shoulder blades and marking the tip sides of the arrow. She let out a quick breath.

"It's cold!" She complained.

"It's not even the paste. I'm outlining it first. I'm using a calligraphy brush and some navy ink. This is the important part so I get it straight so stay still."

"Okay okay." She said and closed her eyes. She felt the brush drag over her shoulders, meet back in the middle of her back and drag down again on both sides. He stopped the arrow just where her hip bone dipped, right before the edge of the robe. He checked the lines from all angles and it was a perfect arrow, straight with faultless angles.

"Okay, important part is done, now I just have to let it dry." He said and put the brush in the sink, rinsing it out. He capped the ink bottle and lay the brush with the rest of the tools.

"How long will the design take?"

"Well, usually doing the hands and feet of a child takes about thirty minutes if you are skilled. You have much more skin to go and I have only done this a few times so we are looking at probably a few hours."

"Oh." She bit her lip and raised herself onto her elbows. 

"Rethinking this?"

"Nope. I am in one hundred percent."

He nodded and leaned down to kiss her cheek.

"Alright. Now the real work begins."

X

"Katara, you are one patient woman."

"Oh am I? I don’t feel very patient." She murmured and rolled her head to the side.

"Well you are and I am finally done, three hours later." He went over to the sink and washed his utensils and hands. He placed everything back where it was supposed to go and put a cap on the paste. He turned away from her and spoke softly.

"There is a three way mirror passed the other curtain. You can look in there to see how it looks."

She got up slowly with groans and complaints of stiff limbs. As her feet touched the floor she grabbed the robe and took it with her. 

The small mirror room adjacent to the main room was lit as well, but brighter. She held the robe in front of her and turned to the side, seeing the amazing image of a white printed arrow down her back. The inside of the arrow was filled with thousands of tiny triangles and squares, some filled, come not. The outline was surrounded by soft curving lines and dots. Each of the design worked as two parts of one masterpiece. The design was tight, very small. It would look similar to lace from a far. She smiled and put her robe back on, coming out of the mirror room.

"Well?" He asked anxiously.

"Aang it's beautiful. And it really will turn color?"

"Yes, every day it will get darker until finally it is a navy blue. Three days. Which leaves us just enough time to continue the planning of this wedding." He smiled and wrapped his arms around her.

"I can’t believe in three days I will be your wife."

"I can’t believe in three days I will be responsible for all the trouble you make." He smirked and she raised an eyebrow. 

"Let's go get you some water and put you to bed. You look tired."

"I am just a little."

Katara helped him put the candles out and he walked her to her dormitory, hand in hand. When they parted, they left each other with sweet wishes of dreams and kisses to last through the night. 

She lay in bed on her stomach that night, cautious to not smear the paste though it was already dry.


	18. Preparations

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Hey guys! Sorry about the long wait. I won't go into details, but everything is a little better now so I should be able to get this much out. Remember, we are on chapter 18 of a 19 chapter story with a 20th chapter epilogue. Chapter 20 is mature rated. Completely skip-able. You can end at chapter 19 and feel fulfilled. I am writing this way to make everyone happy. I really, really want that last bit of smut but some of my readers really don't want it. So, this is the decision. I own nothing, here we go.

It was going to be the most thrown together catastrophe of the century. At least that's how Katara felt. She, like her fiancé, was a hopeless romantic. Unlike her soon to be husband however, she was obsessed with details. Formal invitations, dress shopping, renting a venue, getting a proper countdown calendar. These were things she had always been looking forward to stressing over, and now she was stressed about not having them. It was unconventional, spontaneous, and just a tiny bit exciting. 

Aang had always been a little unpredictable and that was something she was growing used to. It was a trait that was missing in her life and although things didn't quite go according to her thorough plans, the end result was always something she was happy with. But a wedding was not a first date. A wedding was not a trip. A wedding was something sacred and important and this is where her anxieties drew the line. 

A knock came at her door and she let out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding. She was already awake. She wasn't even sure when she had woken or if she had simply lay there all night in her thoughts. The door slid open and she heard it close quickly. Aang knelt down at her bedside and kissed her cheek. She smiled and opened her eyes, happy to see him despite her ever spiraling anxiety.

"Good morning, Aang."

"Morning Katara. Last day."

She nodded. "Last day." She paused and turned her back to him. "Check my arrow?"

"Sure." 

He lifted the covers and blushed, seeing her bare body. He tried to focus on the arrow and nothing else. After a few seconds he let the covers fall back to her body.

"Dark blue. Just like I said."

"Good. And it's not messed up or anything?"

"No. Why aren’t you wearing anything?"

"I didn’t want to smear the design in my sleep."

"Katara, it's been on your skin for days now. It's stained. It's not going anywhere until we want it gone. Or it will fade over time. The paste is already gone. What I'm seeing is the mark left behind."

She wrinkled her nose.

"I'm just being extra careful okay?"

He smiled and rolled his eyes, standing up straight and picking some bindings out of her drawers. She sat up, holding the covers to her chest and watched him grab some simple clothes for her. He rested everything on the end of her bed.

"Please get dressed."

"I know, we have a lot to do."

"I have a lot to do. You have a visitor."

She raised an eyebrow and he winked at her, leaving without another word.

 

X

 

She walked through the halls towards the main temple, her combed hair swaying with her gait. She made her way up the stairs to Aang's office and hesitated on the handle. She heard nothing; no taking and no shuffling. She wondered who could possibly come to visit her today. She pushed the door open and her eyes scanned the room, flooded with early morning light. Standing in front of the window was a man she would have known anywhere, dressed rather casual for a Firelord.

"Zuko!" She smiled and he turned to her. He mirrored her grin and she closed the gap between them quickly, pulling him into an embrace.  
He laughed and gripped her tighter.

"Hey there, Princess."

She laughed into his robes and hit his arm. "You jerk." She lifted her face from his chest and looked up at him. "I thought you said you couldn’t make it. Your letter made you sound so busy…"

"And miss my two favorite people become a family?" He asked and loosened his arms around her. "You know how much you mean to me. And Aang is like the little brother I never had. Seeing you happy with each other… I can't describe how amazing that is to me." He said softly and Katara looked down. 

"I am so happy you're here. And dressed so casual." She smirked and her arms fell to her sides. 

"Don’t worry, I won't disappoint tomorrow."

She sighed. "Tomorrow." Katara looked wistfully outside the window. She was anxious in many ways, but above all else she was excited.

"Happiness looks beautiful on you. I think it's my favorite thing to see you in yet."

He caught her eye and she smiled, her fingers tucking a piece of hair behind her ear.

"He makes me more than happy, Zuko. Life with Aang is exciting and romantic and -"

"Hey, you can stop there."

"It's not like that." She laughed and he blushed. 

"I just mean that it's more than any one emotion. But they all fall under the same umbrella. I just feel so… complete."

He smiled, lifted his head, and looked to the door.

"Well, you have a line of people waiting to see you so I shouldn't keep them waiting."

"I do?"

"Your family docked right after I did. You father didn’t mind letting me have you first."

"Did he ever?" She said and laughed at the double meaning hanging on her lips. Zuko did his awkward laugh, even after all these years. She worked herself up and held herself high, feigning a proper voice.

"My dear Firelord, I'm afraid it would have never worked out between us."

"And so it seems this is where we stand," He recited back to her and they fell into laughter again. He took her hand and bowed to her. 

"It has been a pleasure and honor to be your friend, my dear Lady Katara." He said with total seriousness and she smiled. He dropped her hand and waved goodbye to her.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Tomorrow." He waved back and watched her friend close the door behind him. 

 

X

 

Katara walked from the temple back to her dorm after her family and friends had all come to visit her before the wedding. Her father was approving and content with her choice. Sokka had grown to the idea. Suki was very excited, considering she was in charge of the make-up, hair, and dress. Toph was happy. She had actually spoken tenderly about their relationship briefly before telling her to not trip while walking down the aisle. A joke of course, with a soft pat on the back. Other members of her tribe had come and were so excited to see her all grown and impressed with the fact that she was marrying the avatar. 

Overall she was exhausted from lack of sleep and having to talk to so many people, all the while wasting the last day of preparation. She entered her room and changed into her nightgown, opening the window to see the city out over the inky water. The cool breeze off the bay felt good to her warm skin. 

She leaned against the window and rubbed her arms. A knock came at her door after a few moments of silence to herself, making them short lived.

"Come in." She said softly. 

She heard the door open and slide closed. Light foot falls came behind her and a pair of warm strong hands found their way around her waist. A warm pale cheek rested against hers and a familiar pair of lips gave her a tender kiss on the cheek.

"Did you enjoy your visiting day?" He asked softly. 

"Somewhat." She said and her lips frowned. He exhaled through his nose and kissed her bare shoulder.

"Did you get all the loose ends tied up?" She asked.

"Mm hmm."

"Everyone is here that is supposed to be?"

"Yes."

"We have the means to feed everyone?"

"Yes."

"The lights? The decorations? Music? The ceremony?"

"Katara, stop."

She turned in his arms and her eyes held some shade of fear he couldn’t name.

"Everything is taken care of. All you have to do is show up and promise not to change your mind." He said with that crooked grin she loved so much. She found the corners of her own lips curling upwards.

"Don’t hide your smile. Happiness makes you so beautiful."

"That's what Zuko said. Earlier this morning."

"If Zuko can see it, everyone can see it." He joked and Katara found herself giggling at the expense of her friend. Aang wrapped her in a tight embrace. She rested her head on his chest and listened to his heart beat. It was steady and strong. In that moment she felt the earthbender inside of him. He felt steady. He felt like the one thing that was keeping her together. His hand came up to cradle her head.

"Sweetie, I know you are anxious. I am too."

She scoffed.

"No really. I am. For me to be responsible for the whole world is one thing. The world is faceless. The world is one big problem after another that I have to clean up and make everyone happy. But you," He paused and stoked her hair.

"If something were to happen where I would have to chose between saving the world and saving you, I would chose you. And you being my wife, that's what you should expect. Except you can belong to me alone while I will always belong to everyone. I am supposed to chose the world to save. That's my destiny. It's unfair. It's not balanced. It's a disaster waiting to happen. And for some reason, I just love you too much to care." His voice fell on the last line and she kissed his shoulder. She pulled away and looked up to him.

"Aang, I didn’t know you were going through such distress. But you will never have to chose between me and the world."

"Won't I?"

"No. Because when you save the world, you save me too. And I'll always be by your side, helping you. I have been until now. Why would any of that change?"

"You can't help with everything though. There are some decisions I need to make alone."

"And for those moments, I will be silent and be there for moral support. We are a team. You can't get rid of me so easily." She smiled and he let out a breath.

"I know. I just always want you to be safe. Above anything else, I want you to be okay."

"And I always will be. I'm strong and where I fall short, you can make up the difference."

There was a silence that fell between them and she rested her head back onto his chest. His heart was so slow and steady. She could feel his pulse through the shell of her ear and against her cheek. She closed her eyes and tried to breathe calmly, matching her breathing to his. Before she knew it, her weight was leaning against him and he chuckled. She blinked and stirred.

"What?"

"You should sleep. You practically are." He said softly and kissed her hair.

She nodded and he walked her to her bed. As much as she could worry for days, her body was shutting down on her. He pulled back the covers for her and she lowered herself down gently, scooting into just the right spot before he covered her. 

"Last night alone."

"Last night we have to wait."

"Last time I have to watch you walk away."

"Last time I have to." he smiled and kissed her lips softly. She expected a quick kiss goodnight but his hands cupped under her jaw and pulled her to him, angling her up just slightly. He knelt onto the bed and kissed her deeper and she moaned against his lips. Her hand came up behind his head and pulled him down to her, getting just as lost as he was. she broke the kiss to gain her breath and he gripped her hand softly, pushing it against the covers and moving his lips to her jaw line. A denial trembled on her lips but her body overruled her voice. She arched her neck and his lips followed the line of skin, making her sigh and screw her eyes tight. She bit her lip, trying to hold back her voice but when his tongue licked her skin she moaned his name and he pulled back. He smiled to her and gave her another quick kiss, his eyes dark but his smile devious.

"Also, last time I get to do that and have to walk away."

"Why would you do that?!" She groaned and threw a pillow to him. He laughed and caught it, setting it back on her bed and standing up.

"Because I want you to know what just the sight of you does to me. I want you to remember how you feel right now and know after tomorrow we will never have to hold back again."

She blushed at where her mind took her and Aang's cheeks flushed too. He smiled and whispered a goodnight to her, her reply just as breathless. She was so focused on calming her heart and body she had completely forgotten about the wedding stress, which in all honestly was Aang's plan. She fell asleep soon after he left, getting some much needed rest.


	19. Sea and Sky

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Drum roll please! The chapter all of this has led up to. Might be shorter than I anticipated but it's packed full of detail. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter and remember there is a mature epilogue chapter to follow. I also want to take the time to thank you all for your reviews and faves and kudos and follows that have really pushed me. They have kept me going. I know it's just something small, but it's a huge deal to me. Writing is hard, especially when you work all the time. So thank you.

Waking from sleep is a strange sensation. Sometimes it's slow and lazy as you become aware of your surroundings, the time, how you're positioned. Sometimes it's a quick jolt and you are suddenly wide-eyed and moving within a few seconds. That morning… THE morning, Katara awoke softly and easily. The birds chirped outside and sun was filtering through the cracks of the closed window. She lay in a calm state she didn’t expect to experience the day of their wedding. It was comforting to her to know that no matter what, this was the day. Everything her and Aang had been through had led to this vey day. 

She took her time sitting up and walking to the window, opening it to take in the crisp early autumn air. Autumn was still a few weeks off, but the weather was teasing. The leaves changing slightly. Less hot and humid nights and more cool dew in the mornings. It was Aang's favorite season and she could see why. She crossed her arms and leaned forward on the windowsill, watching the sun light up the city. 

A knock came behind her and she beckoned them in. She was met with a smiling face, a giddy laugh, and a black case full of who knows what.

"Hey Suki."

"Good morning blushing bride-to-be!"

Katara smiled and tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"I'm not blushing yet."

"Oh but soon you will be!" She heaved the case onto the bed and popped it open. It was full of makeup and warrior paint. Enough to color a whole squad of women. 

"Suki, I know you are excited to do this, but we've been over this. I want a fairly natural look. I don’t want to be… overdone with makeup."

"Oh don’t worry, this is just the case I keep everything in. I know exactly what I am going to do for you and you will love it!" She said with a smile a mile wide. Katara smiled back and nodded.

"Okay I trust you." She brought a small stool from the corner and sat in front of the window, wanting to watch the city and the sun pass by.

"Hair first." Suki said. 

"You're in charge."

Suki took Katara's hair and combed it carefully, trying to make it as straight as possible. She pulled two small pieces of hair out and clipped them out of the way. Her signature hair loops would not be lost in this hairdo. She started at her hair line and pulled the strands together, braiding and adding more hair as she went down her scalp. When she ran out of scalp, there was still plenty of hair left. She braided her hair over her shoulder and down to the very end, tying it off with a silk navy ribbon. It fell at crook of her arm.

"It's longer than I remember." Suki finally said after her fingers were cramping.

"I haven't cut it since last winter. Even then it was only a trim. I like it long."

"It suits you."

She smiled and Suki went back to work, taking the two hair loops and making the tiniest braids out of them, attaching even tinier beads to strands of hair and integrating them into the intricate design. She tucked the ends into the larger braid and secured them with a pin that had a pale blue lotus on it. 

"There. Now no touching."

"Okay." She laughed as her friend grabbed the makeup case and looked for her first implement of war. As much as Katara was worried, Suki kept to her word. A little brown powder. Lush maroon lips. Soft rosy cheeks. Finished off with navy and sapphire eye shadow that was tasteful and just enough to bring out the shimmer in her eyes. It was natural looking minus her eyes which gave that special flare. When Suki handed her the mirror she smiled.

"See? I was good."

"Suki I love it. Very well done." She said as she checked her reflection from different angles. She handed it back to her and stood, rubbing her rear from sitting for so long. 

"Okay, I am going to go grab you some food to hold you over until the ceremony. I'll be back in a few."

"Alright." 

Suki put everything back in her case and left with it, closing the door behind her. Katara paced a bit. Not out of nervousness, more out of anticipation. Also a lack of movement over the last hour was not good for her body. She wanted to look at the dress Suki had brought the day previously, hanging mysteriously from her wardrobe in a black bag. She shook her head and told herself to behave. Not to look until Suki showed her. But with the day here and her make-up and hair perfect, it would be the perfect time to see it and try it on. She closed the gap between her and the bag and reached for the zipper just as a knock came at the door. She sighed and lowered her hand.

"Come in."

"It's me, I can't."

Her heart fluttered and suddenly the dress was forgotten. She came to the door and pressed her fingertips against the frame.

"Aang…"

"Good morning beautiful."

"You haven't even seen me yet." She said softly.

"I don’t have to. I know how beautiful you are. Anything else added is just like looking a deity in the face."

She smiled and pressed her hands against the door.

"But…" She heard him whisper. "I still wish I could see you right now. I know we have to wait and that just makes it that much more exciting."

She fought back the urge to throw tradition to the wind and rip open the door. She wanted to see if he was dressed in his formal robes already or if he was just in his pajamas still. More than anything, she just wanted to see his face. Just as she felt her heart clench Suki came in the hall.

"Scoot Mr. Avatar. No peeking."

"I know. Just saying good morning." He said and she could hear the smile in his voice. She expected some kind of love soaked goodbye but he simply walked away. Somehow, it was better that way. Suki opened the door and was face to face with Katara. She laughed.

"Oh spirits you two are going to rip each other apart after the ceremony!"

Katara turned red.

"It's not like that! Well sometimes it is… just never mind!" She said and turned a shade darker. Suki laughed and closed the door behind them. She handed her a bean roll and she took it.

"I'll fix your lips after you eat." Suki said and Katara nodded, taking a bite. 

They sat on the bed for a while in silence. She finished her breakfast and Suki painted her lips again. She smiled and folded her hands in her lap as she sat back down on the bed beside Katara. Silence had never been a burden to them. It was comfortable. It was a sign of the strength of their relationship. After a while, Suki had to question her.

"Feeling anything new?" She smirked, having lived this day herself not so long ago. 

"Lots of things. Happiness, anxiety, apprehension, excitement, longing, and a hundred other things I can't name." She said softly, looking at her hands with a smile gracing her lips.

"You seem so calm though." She replied, a little shocked.

"It's all an act. Under my skin my heart is pounding and I feel like I can't breathe."

"Good acting. Keep it up."

She nodded and her hands tightened on themselves. Suki put a hand on hers and Katara glanced over with a grateful look in her eyes. 

"Want to see the dress?"

"Yes, please!" She said, excitement running across her features. Suki hopped up and grabbed the bag, unzipping it as slowly as possible. Katara was waiting, almost holding her breath for the fabric to fall out into the light. She pulled it from the top and swung the dress over to her. Her eyes tried to take it all in at once but it was impossible. This required a up and down glance, thrice over. It was a color she could only describe as midnight silver blue fading into a dark navy blue on the bottom. It was full length, off the shoulder long sleeves, and the back dipped like a canyon. There was a long tie from sleeve to sleeve in the back to keep it from falling off. It was perfect. It was pure silk and had a very miniscule pattern of waves that could only be seen up close.

"Did… did you make this?" Katara asked, awestruck while her hands explored the dress.

"Yeah right! I actually got it from a modern watertribe shop here in town. I know it's a little risqué, but I think it's perfect for you." She paused and looked down at her.

"Want to try it on?"

She couldn't even answer properly. She was whipping off her clothing faster than Suki thought was possible, considering the bindings and everything. Katara grabbed the dress by the front collar and slipped her feet in, slinking it up her hips and over her bare chest. The sleeves were last and they were barely attached by a few inches of fabric. She made a mental note to put the sleeves on first next time. Suki tied the back and straightened the darts on the dress to align with her breasts perfectly. 

"It fits like a glove. And your hips look perfect for bearing strong young men in this too." She joked. Katara swatted at her but laughed. She looked at herself in the mirror and was shocked at how everything came together. She had never felt more beautiful and more proper. She turned her back to see the arrow imprinted on her skin, the fabric almost parting just for this purpose. She felt so together. She felt sexy. She felt desirable. She felt like the star of the show. She felt important, honored even. She felt like a bride. 

Katara smiled and Suki pressed her lips together.

"This could not be more perfect. You are perfect. I love you." She reached out and pulled Suki into a hug. She laughed and rubbed her back.

"Okay, you are way too emotional for this early in the morning."

"Suki, it's almost noon." She commented and laughed.

She checked the clock on the wall and nodded.

"Time flies I suppose. Just a few hours now." She glanced back at her friend. "You aren't going to take that off are you?"

"Probably not. Got shoes to match?"

"You know I do." She winked.

X

From the time the sun had risen to the time now when it was just turning orange over the city, Katara had thought a novel's worth of things about her new life and where it would take her. It was impossible to focus on just now, just tonight. She had indeed kept her dress on. Her hair was still perfect. Make-up still intact. And the tall shoes Suki had bought were still on her feet. She had never had shoes like this before but they were apparently all the rage right now. She practiced walking in them for a few hours and she eventually was perfect at it, though they weren't the most comfortable, they were the most beautiful shoes she had ever seen. 

When five became six, she was ready. When six became seven, she was anxious. And when seven became seven thirty, her heart was bound to explode. 

Another knock came at her door and Suki opened before Katara could say a word. She was in a simple teal dress with her hair in a very plain bun. She looked very nice, but not nearly as nice as the bride. That was the idea though.

"Are you ready?" She reached for her through the threshold.

She didn't have any words to answer her properly so she just stood and took Suki's hand. They looped elbows and she led her down the hall towards the courtyard.

"I can't wait for you to see it."

She let out a shaky breath. She didn’t know why she was nervous. She loved Aang with all she was. This was what she wanted more than anything. She thought that maybe achieving your desires is just one of those things that is literally unbelievable. 

The buildings went passed her in a blur and suddenly she was showered in the glow of lanterns and the sun just beyond the horizon. Her whole tribe was there. Some even from the north. All the acolytes where there. Sokka, Toph, And Zuko stood nearest Aang, Hakoda directly to Aang's right. Suki let go of Katara and walked ahead of her down the center of people, leaving her frozen.

Aang beckoned her forward and her feet mindlessly stumbled forward. Everything around her was overwhelming. The mixture of loving faces, the Air Nomad and Watertribe decorations perfectly blended, And Aang's eyes pulling her forward. It was so fast. Before she knew it she was taking his hand and facing her father.

"Usually, a different official would perform this for you, but because of the special circumstances, I'm going to make sure this is the perfect officiating." Hakoda smiled and Katara glanced at Aang. That wasn't what she had planned but Aang was, as always, full of surprises. 

Hakoda took a deep breath and looked at the two before him. 

"As sure as the sea meets the sky, today air and water become one. Through the ice field and biting wind, you must navigate your relationship as partners in a boat, working together. Without cooperation the ship will sink and so will the two upon it."

He rubbed his thumb upon Aang's forehead and made a line with navy blue ink.

"Aang, I leave you with the mark of the trusted. I trust you with my daughter as the world trusts in you."

He smiled and nodded his head once.

Hakoda turned to Katara and gave her a mark too, this one in a crescent moon shape. 

"Katara, today even as a bride, you earn the mark of the brave. You have helped Avatar Aang on more than one occasion and even saved his life though you yourself were not expected to. I am sure you will have many more adventures together that require that bravery."

She smiled and gave Aang's hand a loving squeeze. 

"The spirits of the ocean and moon bear witness to this union. May they bless you all your days."

Hakoda smiled and wiped his hand on a cloth.

"Our people have many traditions, but so do yours, Aang. So now, we move to your part." He smiled, happy to give this opportunity to Aang. He reached behind him and shoved some threads in his pocket before speaking again.

"In the Air Nomad culture, the arrow is very important. It is a mark of an Airbending Master. It is the mark that the sky bison bear. But in marriage it is also important. Katara of the Watertribe has an arrow on her today, just as you do Aang. You must visualize them as one mark. One real arrow to hold on your hands. It has to be straight to fly correctly. It must be notched to fly. And most importantly, it must be aimed at the right target. Just like that arrow, you must be following the same path to have the end result you both desire. You must struggle to go forward. And you must search for happiness and peace above all else."

He reached into his pocket and held three different colors of thread.

"Please hold your hands out."

Aang was quicker so that Katara could follow suit. Aang raised his left, Katara her right. The arms that were next to each other and had been holding hands. Hakoda took a yellow thread and tied it from Aang's ring finger to Katara's.

"This first thread represents communication. You must always talk to your mate, be it for pleasure or to work out an issue. A marriage without good communication is as frail as the thread that ties you now."

They both nodded. Hakoda took an orange thread and tied it around the same fingers.

"This second thread represents trust. You must depend on one another. You must trust each other so much so that you would never think badly of the other person. Trust is easy to lose and even harder to regain. You have trust now, do not let that break."

The both nodded again. Katara was slightly beside herself, fascinated by the Air Nomad marital ceremony. She had never read anything about it so this must have all been straight from Aang's mouth to her father's ears.

Hakoda pulled out the last thread, red. He tied it to the same fingers.

"Lastly this thread represents love. A marriage without love is much like a red thread; beautiful to onlookers but weak and easy to tear apart. Love is the very basis for why we are all here today. You two love each other, we can all see it in your eyes. If you keep that love, this thread will be the strongest of them all." 

They smiled and Hakoda took both of their hands. He raised them so everyone could see.

"These three things are the building blocks for a happy, pure union. Even if only one is good and two are weak, it will eventually break. With good communication, doubtless trust, and undying love, these threads can become a strong braided rope that will tie you together all your days."

He let their hands go and they came down to their sides, holding each other's hands. Aang turned towards her and she took her queue, looking into his eyes. Suddenly everything that was going so fast before her was stopped. No time mattered. Nothing passed. She felt for just a fleeting moment that it was only her and Aang standing there. He looked into her eyes and they were both filled with joy, unable to hold back smiles. Hakoda turned to Aang.

"Aang, will you confide in, trust, and love Katara all your days, so that she may be your wife."

"I will." He said, looking more happy than he ever had.

Hakoda nodded and turned to his daughter, whom was barely aware he existed.

"Katara, will you confide in, trust, and love Aang all your days, so that he may be your husband."

"I will." She breathed out, smiling wider than she ever had. 

"With all these witnesses present, mortal and spiritual, I declare this union is fully bound."

Katara smiled and before she knew what was next Aang advanced to her and cupped her face, taking in her lips as if he needed her kiss to live. She closed her eyes and wrapped herself around his neck, feeling him dip her backwards. She didn't care if her whole tribe saw this. This was the proof of their love and she was going to enjoy it. When Aang finally had to come up for air, he still held her back, looking down at her in his arm. There was a lot a hollering and whooping from the crowd but it was muffled to them. In that second, the second they became each other's, the second they had finally come together, nothing outside the two of them existed.

He stood her up and they clasped their tied hands together once again. Aang smiled to her and Everyone dispersed to set up for the food and festivities.

While everyone was going off to do their assigned duties, Aang and Katara stayed put. They were locked in a gaze that not even an earthquake could break. After a while Aang finally spoke.

"So, what did you think?" He asked softly.

"It was absolutely perfect. A perfect blend of you and me."

He smiled and kissed her lips again, much more tenderly this time. When he pulled back her eyes seemed glazed.

"Katara? What's wrong.?"

"We're married…. Aang, we're married!"

He laughed and touched his forehead to hers. He wanted to make fun of her but if he were honest with himself, he was quite in shock too. He had a wife. He was a husband. With just a few words, they had become a family. It was so surreal to both of them. Katara looked down at their tied hands. Although the threads had slack, it would still be impossible to eat while tied.

"How long do we have to stay tied for?"

"Oh, for the next three days. A day for every string."

Her face went blank but inside she had a small screaming voice. He laughed at her expression.

"I'm kidding! We can take them off whenever we want."

"Oh, okay." She sighed and he chuckled a bit. "Don't scare me like that."

"Let's go find someone to cut us loose so we can enjoy our meal and dance together."

"Hmm." Katara smiled and Aang raised a brow.

"What?"

"That word. Together. It has such a weight to it now that it didn't before."

"Katara, as long as we are together, there's no weight we can't bear."

She smiled and kissed him for longer than appropriate in public. He had to pull away and hold her waist. 

"We'll save that for later. For now, let's enjoy the party."

"Okay. But you promised for later." She winked and he laughed as they finally left their spot in the courtyard, together.


	20. Finally

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The epilogue I have been promising - MATURE RATED

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really don't know how else to scream this, but this chapter is mature rated. If you are under 18 and you are reading this, I am not responsible for what your eyes will see. Lemon, smut, however you want to put it, that's what this is. It does nothing to the plot at all. All of the plot was Ch 1 - 19. This is for pure pleasure. That being said, I hope you enjoy yourselves. Also I am so so SO sorry for the wait! My life has been insane... you wouldn't even believe, it's been a fanfiction all on its own, but a nightmare of one. Anyway, please remember to comment/review. It gets me through. It helps all writers continue because a lot of people forget we do this for free and out of our own free time, which not all of us have a lot of. Thank you to all my loyal readers and I hope this story was everything you asked for.

Food was out and music was playing when the new couple was still stuck in their little bubble of time. They ate very little, not wanting to let go of each other's hands despite being cut free from the threads. A few glasses of wine were already gone and smiles and laughter filled the air. Many congratulations had been given. Many people had come to see them and gone their own way. It was a perfect night.  
In the dim glow of the lanterns, Aang stood and offered his hand to Katara. She took it almost immediately. He led her to the empty half of the dining hall that was being used as a dance floor and swung her around into his arms. She smiled and it was like their eyes were always connected. She wasn't sure how long she had danced but eventually people began to fade away and go off to bed. She hadn't even realized the music had stopped, laying her head on his chest and swaying in a soft rhythm. With her eyes closed and her arms fisted into her own chest she had never been happier, Aang's arms around her as they swayed side to side. 

Aang looked around and a few acolytes stayed behind to help clean up but other than that, the guests were gone and lanterns were being put out. 

"Katara." He whispered into her hair and she looked up at him.

"I think it's time for bed." 

She was confused and looked around, surprised at the lack of bodies. She turned back to her husband.

"How long have we been out here?"

"Long enough for everyone to get tired and go home." He smiled and took her hands. "Are you even close to tired?"

"Not really. I'm past elated and excited and anxious and now I'm just serene, though not tired."

"Well, we probably should leave and get ready for bed anyway. It's late."

She nodded in agreement and wrapped around his arm as he lead them back to what was now their home. They walked through the door together and she expected him to go towards the bedroom. He stood for a moment and looked to her. 

"Would you want to take a bath before bed?"

"Yeah, I need to get this make up off." She smiled and let go of his arm. She walked towards the bathroom and realized he was still standing in the foyer like a stone. She turned to him to ask what was wrong and he was blushing. 

"Would you... um", he stammered, nervous. "Would you want to take one together?"

The back of her neck got hot and her stomach jumped up and down. She had never bathed with anyone before but the idea sounded pleasant and loving, possibly erotic and even embarrassing. She was so silent that her lack of an answer made him even more nervous.

"Sorry. That was really forward. Just go take a bath and let me know when you're done." He said and rubbed the back of his neck, taking sudden attention to the wall to his right. 

"No you're not too forward at all. We're married. Nothing is off limits, right?" She smiled but was nervous through the whole sentence. "We should. It would be a nice bonding memory for us." 

She bit her lip and faced towards the bathroom. He met her in the doorway and entered before her, holding a small flame in his hands. They didn't speak as he moved around the room, lighting endless candles on shelves, the side of the tub, the window sill, and even on the counter. When the room was in a warm glow, he let the flame go and looked to his wife.

"Aang, this was planned." She accused and he smiled and exhaled loudly, almost a laugh. She smiled and came to touch his cheek.

"It's romantic and I love it." She kissed him softly and he was breathless. He felt they were different people now, although still the same. It was an experience that was enhancing every move of her fingers, every quiver of her lips. She broke away and looked to his formal robes. In this situation, someone was going to have to go first. She took the courage she had and used it to lift her hands to the clasps around his neck, undoing them slowly and letting the robe open to bare his chest. 

She smiled up at him like she was proud of her work, though she had done so little. Aang stroked her cheek and let his hand travel down her neck to her shoulder where her dress hung. His hands looped around the back and untied the knot that held her dress to her form, not without blushing. It was hard not to blush when she had her eyes fixated on his the entire time.

The fabric fell down her arms and hung from her chest and elbows. She was quick to counter, running her hands up his chest and parting the robes, making them slide down his arms. When he was topless she felt some kind of toxicity taking over. Not that of liquor but something much stronger. Aang felt the same way. She had seen him topless countless times but he had only seen her bare once and it was brief, though an image he could not forget. 

He reached to slide the fabric down her arms further and stopped. He took his hands away from her body and smiled.

"I'll draw us up a nice hot bath." He turned his attention to the tub and ran the water, adding soaps and perfumes making the water a milky green. She smiled and waited where he left her, her heart anxious yet wanting to draw all of this out. There was a comfortable silence as the water ran, echoing off the walls until the tub was almost full, about three quarters. He turned off the water and let his top fall off his body onto the floor. He turned to his side and decided to take the rest of his formal wear off. When he was naked he slipped himself into the hot water, leaning against the back of the tub and closing his eyes. 

Katara was surprised and blushed a bit when she saw him. She had expected their little game to continue. She therefore next expected him to watch her undress but his eyes stayed shut. She was confused and felt a sudden wave of embarrassment. She slid the dress off of her body and took off the underwear she had on, sliding them with her foot into a pile next to his. She stepped into the water and sat until the water came up to the middle of her sternum. It smelled like lemon, honey, vanilla and a few other earthy things she couldn't name. She looked over to him and the water was completely cloudy, unable to see even herself.

"Comfortable?" He asked softly.

"Mmhmm." She nodded softly and he opened his eyes. 

"There. That got us out of that situation." He smiled and wrapped his arms around the back of the tub, leaning back and looking relaxed.

"Aang, we can't avoid it forever."

"I'm not avoiding it. This is our night to explore and have fun and fall in love all over again. Why rush it?" He paused and looked to her with a serious look.

"I want this to be special. Not some rushed affair after too much wine and not some cliché wedding night. You deserve more than that and I want us to remember this for the rest of our lives. Your first only comes once in your lifetime..." He trailed off and she smiled. 

She blushed again and looked down at the water in front of her, smiling. He hesitated and dropped his hand onto the water. She felt the awkwardness settle back in and she dipped her head and face under the water, coming up for a breath and scrubbing the make-up off her face, rinsing when she was done with a dripping braid falling down her spine.

"Turn around and come here." He said softly.

She came towards him in the water slowly and turned her back to him. Her bottom bumped into his legs and he opened them to wrap around her hips but still kept a little distance between their bodies. He took her braid in his hands and smiled and the beautiful work.

"Want me to take this out for you?"

"Sure."

His fingers worked the ribbon loose and he tossed it over in the pile of clothes. He untwined her hair slowly and took special care to keep the beads in a small pile just outside the tub. When he was done she shook her head a bit.

"That feels much better."

"Good." He grinned and leaned forward and kissed her shoulder. His lips lingered on her skin and instantly her side felt numb. Her head was tilted back without thought and her lips parted to let out a whimpering breath. He paused and took her hair, swinging  
it over one of her shoulders.

He lifted the water up over her back and washed her back for her. Although the intent was pure, the feeling was sensual. The more he massaged his hands into her skin the redder her face got. He raised the water once more to rinse her back and let the water run down her shoulders. She ran the water over her arms and washed her torso, leaning back into his body. She didn't ignore his groin against her back, rather she enjoyed the fact that he was incapacitated momentarily. 

When she was done washing her torso he wrapped his arms around her middle under the water and pulled her even closer, kissing the skin on her neck. Her hands fell on his thighs and gripped as he held her captive, those kissing feeling hotter and hotter on her skin, each leaving a scorch mark of their own. A thrill ran down his spine when her hands gripped him and he only lost himself more, as if he wasn't already losing himself every second she was in front of him. 

He made a daring move fueled by her sighs and ran his hand up to her chest, carefully cradling each breast in his palms. She was barely breathing, every touch turning her into a person she had never been. His lips attacked her neck and her head fell onto his shoulder. Her eyes were closed, unable to really process her actions or the burning desire between her legs. She wanted so much more than what was happening right now, but she also never wanted this to stop. When his hands gripped her breasts she made yet another involuntary noise and she felt like she was running a fever. 

"Aang..." She moaned out, arching her back. His lips stopped for a second, trying to push down his own voice. That cry of his name on her lips made him feel desperate to hear it again, over and over. He realized in the back of his mind that his name would be the only name on her lips like this for all their lives and that made him so incredibly happy. But he couldn't really focus on that fleeting thought. Her soft flesh and hardened peaks beneath his palms pushed every other thought form his mind. He wasn't thinking anymore, just running on the fire in his blood. His right hand left her breast and slid down her torso, fingers finding a small mound of hair and diving deeper, feeling her slit under the water.

She jerked in reaction, her own fingers having ever been there. She groaned and pushed her hips up slightly into his fingers, and he knew he was on the right path. He ran his fingers over her lips, trying to get the geography in mind. Before she could even think, she grabbed his hand and led his fingers to her clit. He rested on the small bump and she ached in wait. He ran a finger over it as a test and she gasped louder than before. He bit his lip, trying to hold in his own excitement, and circled over her clit.  
She let go of anything that could possibly embarrass her. At this point his fingers felt so good she had no worries about how loud she would be or the faces she would make. She moved back and she felt him harder than ever against the small of her back. 

It took everything she had to turn to him and remove his hands. Her eyes were as dark as his, their faces both enflamed but no longer hesitant. Hearts beating fast she sat up higher, matching his height. She was on her knees in the tub and her top half was exposed. He couldn't have imagined a better sight than the water dripping from her dark skin, but it was short lived. Her left came hand behind his neck, the other onto his right hand. She led him to where he was before she turned and kissed him like her life depended on it. He didn't need words, her directions were clear. His fingers played her like a harp and she moaned against his lips. She reached down with her right hand and found his shaft easily, swallowing his breath when he gasped. She ran her hand up and down his length, the water a convenient lubricant. His fingers stopped at her actions. He couldn't even think enough to move. The feeling of her chest on his, her lips devouring his, and her hand touching and stroking him like an expert made him as motionless as a paperweight. 

"Katara..."

Her name in the air around her seemed to push her further. It was clear that they both got off on getting each other off; Something they hadn't anticipated but was common in relationships as strong as theirs. 

Her thumb ran against the underside of his head and he made a new sound that was strangled and elated at the same time. His free hand shot up into her hair to pull her lips further into his and his fingers became alive, playing with her clit faster than he had before. She whimpered and her hips shuddered, her hand moving faster and gripping tighter around him. He countered by pushing his fingers further back, just dipping into her entrance shallowly. She pushed her hips towards his fingers, fraught to make the ache between her legs disappear. He didn't allow himself to go further in and her frustration was clear when her hand gripped him even tighter, silently begging him. 

He broke the kiss and looked up at her, her face was that of a woman in heat. She was short of breath like himself and her face made it clear what she wanted. She wanted more. And so did he. 

Without thinking he grabbed her body and swept her into his arms princess style. He stood out of the bath and rushed them toward the bedroom. She didn't question him at all. He lay her on the bed, not even taking the time to bend the water off of their bodies, and hovered over her, kissing her neck and down to her breasts.

She smiled and let her hand rest on either side of her head, closing her eyes and enjoying every bit of torture that this was. His lips found one of her dark buds and didn't hesitate to take it between them. She arched and moaned his name, making his own groin feel hot and needy. He kissed down her body and was between her legs before she knew it. When his kisses stopped and the head of his body disappeared, she looked down to see him staring at the source of all her frustration. She blushed as his eyes raked over every fold of pink and brown, seeing her small button that made her quiver so much and knowing her entrance was hidden in the middle.

She was about to tell him to stop staring but he took an action that halted her words; He started to kiss the insides of her thighs. She bit her lip, trying not to make too many whimpers. This wasn't something she had expected. She thought this would come later in their relationship. His kisses got closer and closer to her source and her whole body felt like it was on fire. She was embarrassed and turned on and starting to get lost in that haze of desire again.

She could feel his breath on her folds and was about to stop him when she felt the best thing she had ever felt; his tongue run up the entirely of her slit.

"Aang!" She yelped and her knees closed. He was confuses and looked to her.

"Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?" He asked, genuinely concerned that he had crossed a line he shouldn't have. 

"I'm fine..." She said, trying to catch her breath. "You don't have to do that."

"I want to though." He paused and ran a rand over her thighs to comfort her. "Did it feel good?"

"The best..." She whispered.

"Then let me do this. I want to. And you taste amazing."

She blushed and didn't know how to respond. Her knees came apart and he went right back in, licking her up and down. Her moans couldn't be contained. His name came out a few times. More than she would prefer to admit. He kissed and sucked on her clit and she almost screamed. His mouth made love to her and she wasn't even on earth. She gripped the covers and held on for dear life. When his tongue was assaulting her clit, his fingers found her entrance and slid in much further this time. She moaned louder than ever before and begged him to go deeper, all shame gone from her voice. 

When his fingers plunged into her and made her ache worse, she was even more frustrated. He moved fast and suddenly the combination of ministrations made her skin start to boil.

"Keep going." She groaned, biting her own lip and arching her back even further. 

He did as she asked and within a few minutes she went from boiling to lava hot. She didn't have time to tell him, but she gasped and yelled his name while every single nerve in her body exploded. Her body shook and Aang stopped when she was panting. He pulled out his fingers and kissed her entrance, licking his lips. He got back on his knees on the bed and looked down at her. She looked so happy and not even in the room. He smiled and gripping himself with the hand that was covered in her juices. He moved his hand over himself slowly and bent down to kiss her lips. 

When she tasted herself on his lips she came to, licking his lips and then her own. He pulled back and was half there. She looked down and watched him stroke himself.

"Are you ready?" He asked, his voice lower than it ever had been.

"No wait. I want to do something first."

He paused and she led him to lay on the bed. She moved his hand and replaced it with her own. He smiled and sighed, the feel of her fingers sending him to another place. He did have a warning for her.

"Katara... It's our first time. I don't know if I can go more than once so I wouldn't do that... if I were you."

A devilish smile crossed her face and leaned down and took him in her lips. Her tongue traced around his head and to the tip before she licked her lips again. Katara looked up to him and he was lost for words.

"Just tell me when you want me."

Those words almost made him explode on the spot. They were heavy and sensual and drove him crazy. Her lips found purchase on his skin once more and he was where she had been just seconds ago. She used her hand and her mouth to play, running her  
tongue along the entire underside of his shaft. Her hand, her tongue, her lips, her throat... it was all amazing and each felt different. She changed it up so much that it was almost overloading his system. He needed her. He needed to be inside her where his fingers once where.

"Katara stop. I want you, now."

She smiled and stopped . He sat up but she quickly put any plans he had to rest with a small push as she crawled up his body. She hovered her entrance over him and pressed his tip against her.

"I know it's not traditional for me to be on top-"

"Katara, right now I don't care who's where. Are you ready?" He asked in one frustrated breath. Katara nodded and he took her hips in his hands. He pushed up and probed her entrance slowly, stretching her to make sure he could enter without making it painful. She moaned and rested a hand on either side of his head, pushing down onto him. It came to where both of their needs were at their highest point yet.

Finally he gripped her hips more firmly and pushed himself into her as she slammed down onto him. It was a moment that felt so amazing they both let out a loud noise. But it still wasn't enough for either of them. They worked together to get a rhythm in tandem and when they finally did it was paradise. Nothing mattered but how fast they could grid against each other, how deep he could go, how hard he could pound into her. Everything else was lost, it was just them in a dark room, trying to reach completion. It was a hundred degrees in the darkness of the room, fire seemed to burn all around them and even inside of them. Sweat mixed with water and juices and it was all just part of their experience. With their bodies sliding against each other, flesh to flesh, she was almost to her second and he was almost to his first. She gripped the covers.

"Harder." She demanded. He obliged half a second after the words left her lips. Their groaning became louder and she was so close. 

"Aang please, as hard as you can."

He dug his fingers into her hips and went as fast and as hard as his body allowed. She screamed his name and her insides constricted even tighter around him, experiencing her second wave of bliss. Her completion was enough to make him spill over the edge, the horizon in his mind having no more meaning. 

"Katara!" He yelled and grabbed her body, pounding into her harder than he thought he could as he found bliss inside of her warm folds. He slowed to a stop and they tried to catch their breath. 

She collapsed onto his chest and lay her head on his heart, sweat and water still mingled together. They stayed like that until their hearts slowed and their skin was mostly dry. She looked up to him and their eyes met. They smiled to each other and she leaned up to give him a loving tender kiss. He pulled out of her and let her leg wrap around him. 

"I love you." He said softly.

"And I love you."

They lay in their ecstasy and Aang laughed out of the blue. Katara looked up to him with an eyebrow cocked.

"Do you think we should take another bath?"

She smiled and exhaled loudly from her nose.

"Probably." She kissed his cheek and made herself comfortable. "Later though."

"Yeah, later." He said and wrapped his arms around her, holding his wife close to him.


End file.
